Stephen Lawrence Day marks 30 years since murderon April 22, 2023 at 10:34 am

A memorial service is being held on the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in an unprovoked racist attack in south-east London.

The 18-year-old was stabbed to death by a gang of white youths as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham on 22 April 1993.

A report into the failed investigation found there was “institutional racism” in the Met Police.

His mother Baroness Lawrence said Stephen’s story remained “as important and relevant as ever”.

The Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation was set up by Baroness Lawrence in 2020.

The private memorial service is taking place at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in London’s Trafalgar Square.

As part of the anniversary, the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation has announced a series of scholarships, research initiatives and pilot careers schemes, aimed at helping marginalised young people.

“I am filled with immense pride to witness all that has been achieved in his name and yet must also acknowledge the work still to be done,” Baroness Lawrence added.

“As we pass the baton from one generation to the next, let us remain steadfast in our hope for a brighter future.”

Two of Stephen’s five suspected killers were jailed nearly 20 years after his murder.

The 1999 Macpherson Report into the failed investigation into his death found there was “institutional racism” in the Met Police and made 70 recommendations, many aimed at improving police attitudes to racism.

Earlier this week, Baroness Lawrence told the BBC the force had failed to change in the 30 years since her son’s murder.

Last month, Baroness Casey’s year-long review of the force found women and children had been failed in particular by a “boys’ club” culture.

In a statement marking the 30th anniversary, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for “past failings” and said the force had “let black communities down”.

He said: “We offer our sympathies to the Lawrence family on their unimaginable loss.

“Their dignified fight for justice, conducted in the pressure of the public eye with unwavering determination over so many years, continues to be a source of inspiration for us and so many.

“On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I apologise again for our past failings which will have made the grief of losing a loved one all the more difficult to endure.

“We have let black communities down.

“They feel over policed and under protected. We are still not sufficiently representative of London, black officers and staff still face discrimination and are not always sufficiently supported to progress within the Met.

“There are disproportionalities and systemic biases in our use of policing tactics and our support to victims of crime.

“We are deeply sorry for these failings.”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I continue to be inspired every day by Baroness Doreen Lawrence, the Lawrence family and so many others who have campaigned for decades for justice and a fairer society following Stephen’s murder.”

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