U.K. begins inquiry into tainted blood scandal

The U.K. kicked off public hearings yesterday in what will be a monthslong investigation into how thousands in the ’70s and ’80s — many of whom had hemophilia — were treated with contaminated blood, which led to HIV and hepatitis C infections and resulted in more than 2,000 deaths. The blood was mostly imported from the U.S. and tied to high-risk donors, including prison inmates. This isn’t the first inquiry into the scandal, though victims have condemned previous probes and have accused the government of failing to take responsibility. Prime Minister Theresa May, who ordered this latest inquiry in 2017 with witness testimony, said yesterday that it “will be dedicated to getting to the truth of what happened and in delivering justice to everyone involved.”