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Worlds of evidence: Visualising patterns in witness statements in the aftermath of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster
Canning, Patricia Ho, Yufang Bartl, Sara
Canning, Patricia
Ho, Yufang
Bartl, Sara
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Publication Date
2021-09-15
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Abstract
The Hillsborough football stadium disaster (1989) in Sheffield, UK, led to the deaths of 97 football fans and resulted in the longest jury case in British legal history (2016). This article examines the witness statements of two Sheffield residents who claim to have attended the match. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates a cognitive linguistic framework (Text World Theory) with visualisation software (VUE) we consider both form and function of a number of linguistic features, such as meta-narrative, evaluative lexis, syntax, and modality to investigate how institutional voices permeate and potentially distort layperson narratives. Our analysis casts doubt on the veracity of the statements and raises questions about what can be considered evidential in a forensic investigation.
Citation
Canning, P., Ho, Y., & Bartl, S. (2021). Worlds of evidence: Visualising patterns in witness statements in the aftermath of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster. English Text Construction, 14(1), 25-67. https://doi.org/10.1075/etc.00042.can
Publisher
John Benjamins Publishing
Journal
English Text Construction
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Type
Article
Language
en
Description
Series/Report no.
ISSN
1874-8767
EISSN
1874-8775