Grenfell Tower fire: Police consider corporate manslaughter charges against council, management

A general view shows the Grenfell Tower, which was destroyed in a fatal fire, in London, Britain July 15, 2017. Reuters/Tolga Akmen

The Grenfell Tower fire that killed more than 80 people in London in June may result in corporate manslaughter charges against the local council. The Metropolitan Police said that the owners and management of the residential building are under suspicion.

The police said they have “reasonable grounds” to suspect the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the owner of the public housing block, and management group the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Association of committing corporate manslaughter offence. The survivors of the tragedy were informed of the development via a letter on Thursday.

It does not mean that a decision had been made on charging an individual or a corporation just yet. According to the police, senior executives from the council and the management will be formally interviewed under caution. They have “seized a huge amount of material and taken a large number of witness statements” before considering the potential charges.

“After an initial assessment of that information, the officer leading the investigation has today notified the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenancy Management Organisation that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that each organisation may have committed the offence of corporate manslaughter under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007,” the letter reads. The Met also released a statement on Thursday, saying the investigation of this nature will take a “considerable time” to conclude.

Organisations found guilty of corporate manslaughter may be liable to an “unlimited fine,” the BBC notes. The offence, which can only be charged on organisations, is intended to work “in conjunction” with other forms of offences.

The Grenfell Tower fire on June 14 caused at least 80 deaths and over 70 injuries. An early morning fire suspected to have had started from an electrical-malfunctioning refrigerator ripped through the 24-storey block in just minutes, trapping dozens of residents in their flats. Investigations following the incident showed that the types of materials used for the tower’s cladding were flawed, which probably explained why the blaze spread that quickly.

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