 In October
1998, the Metropolitan Police Service helmed by Sir Paul Condon
offers a belated but carefully worded apology. He said:
"I deeply regret we have not brought Stephen's racist murders to justice and I would like to personally apologise again
to Mr and Mrs Lawrence for our failure."
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Perhaps
one of the bravest piece of journalism from a newspaper largely
regarded as right-wing. The Daily Mail have
on numerous occasions since 1993 challenged the five prime
suspects in the murder of Stephen Lawrence to defend themselves in
court. The paper branded the men 'murderers'
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 Stephen
Lawrence was the victim of a racist murder in 1993. He was attacked
and killed by a gang of white youths as he waited at a bus stop in Eltham, south east London, with friend
Duwayne Brooks.
Despite several investigations, a lengthy campaign, a long list of
evidence and facts (including surveillance video), a number of
lengthy criminal and private prosecutions, none of the men known to
be responsible have been brought to book.
One national newspaper (The Daily Mail) challenged the five men
legally by twice publicly branding them murderers on front page
stories. The paper challenge them to sue and prove them wrong in a
court of law - they didn't.
Stephen Lawrence, through the courageous campaigning of his his
parents, Doreen and Neville, Stephen (perhaps not intentionally) has since become an icon. The
investigation into his untimely death became synonymous of
everything that is and has been wrong with policing in Britain.
Despite this, there remains some hope that justice will prevail and
those responsible will be brought to book for this heinous crime
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Stephen Lawrence - dates &
events
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Stephen Lawrence - dates &
events
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Stephen Lawrence - dates &
events
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April 22 1993: Stephen Lawrence stabbed to death in a racist attack by a gang of white youths
May 4 1993: Lawrence family complains of police not doing enough to catch
murderers May 7 1993: Searches conducted at the homes of
suspects brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, David Norris and Gary Dobson.
The Acourt brothers and Dobson are arrested, but released on bail. May 10 1993: Norris
is arrested and interviewed. May 13 1993: Neil Acourt is identified by Duwayne Brooks as one of the gang responsible. Acourt is charged with the murder
June 23 1993: Luke Knight charged with the murder. He is remanded in
custody December 1993: Southwark Coroner Sir Montague Levine
stops an inquest into Stephen's death after barrister, Michael Mansfield QC, says there is "dramatic" new evidence.
April 16 1994: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) rules the new evidence
insufficient to support murder charges September 1994: The Lawrence family
start a private prosecution against the prime suspects. April 1996: The murder trial against Neil Acourt, Luke Knight and Gary Dobson
starts at the Central Criminal Court. April 25 1996: The case collapses after
it is ruled that evidence from Duwayne Brooks, a friend of Stephen, is inadmissible.
The three are acquitted. February 1997: Inquest into Stephen's death ends and the jury decides he had been "unlawfully killed by five white youths".
December 15 1997: A Police Complaints Authority report on the
initial police investigation into Stephen's murder identifies "significant weaknesses, omissions and lost opportunities".
February 1999: Publication of the MacPherson report. May 5 2004: The
CPS announces there is "insufficient evidence" to prosecute anyone for Stephen's murder. July
2006: A BBC documentary claims a corrupt detective hampered the
original 2003 investigation
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USEFUL
LINKS....
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BBC
- Stephen Lawrence Chronology of events
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The
Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
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The
Stephen Lawrence Inquiry - View publications related to the inquiry into matters arising from the death of
Stephen Lawrence. The inquiry intended to identify lessons to be learned for the investigation and prosecution of racially motivated crimes.
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Copyright © 2006 Black In Britain. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Black In Britain.
WRITE TO US: Black In Britain, Unit 49, Brockley Cross, Business Centre, 96 Endwell Road London SE6 2PD
TEXT US ON: +44 774242 4185 CALL US ON: 020 7732 3195
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