Blog

In this article, Sharon Hartles exposes the UK’s decades-long regulatory failure surrounding Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug prescribed to pregnant women despite early warnings of harm. Drawing on survivor testimonies, medical evidence, media investigation and recent parliamentary action, she reveals how government inaction enabled generational damage to persist. The piece calls for recognition, accountability, and urgent reform.

On 3rd August 2025 people from Sunderland gathered to remember one of the worst instances of state violence in the history of the city. Described by local people as “Sunderland’s Peterloo”, the bicentennial commemorations were led by Dr David Scott, The Open University. This article is a brief account of the 200th Anniversary event.

In this article, Sharon Hartles exposes how the toxic legacy of the 1984 Bhopal disaster continues into 2025, as hazardous waste from the original site is being shifted to Pithampur, creating a new environmental sacrifice zone. She critiques the government’s claims of remediation, highlights community fears and activist concerns about ongoing health risks and inadequate transparency, and underscores the urgent demand for genuine accountability ahead of a crucial High Court hearing.

In this article, Sharon Hartles explores the UK’s delayed response to the Diethylstilbestrol DES drug scandal. Despite mounting evidence of harm, survivors were left without answers, support, or accountability. Sharon calls on the government to go beyond a limited investigation and urges a formal apology, a public inquiry, and the creation of a compensation scheme.

When researching the 1826 Chatterton Massacre, David Gordon Scott found in the archives an account of the North Sands Massacre, Sunderland, 3rd August 1825 . The massacre, where five workers were shot dead, has been almost entirely forgotten.  This blog provides a brief overview of the massacre and some details of the bicentennial commemorations.

In this article, Sharon Hartles marks IWMD25 by exposing how systemic violence—from workplace deaths to Grenfell—is rooted in austerity, deregulation, and profit-driven neglect. She challenges legal definitions of crime, showing how the law protects capital while ignoring preventable harms. Calling this social murder, she urges us to remember the dead and fight for the living.

In this article, David Scott and Kate Hurst name, and highlight the importance of naming, some of those who died in the 1826 ‘Lancashire Rising’.

In this article, Sharon Hartles asks whether the Corporate Homocide Act in Scotland has achieved its aims, and considers whether it should be reformed.

In this article, Sharon Hartles provides an update on the case of Robbie Powell.

In this article, Sharon Hartles reflects on the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's final report.