Stephen Lawrence: A Legacy of Hope
Stephen Lawrence was born on Friday 13 September 1974; family and friends describe him as an energetic, cheeky and adventurous child. By the age of 18, Stephen was studying for A-levels with aspirations to become an architect.
On the Thursday 22 April 1993 Stephen and a friend were waiting for a bus in South London when a group of white youths surrounded Stephen in a sudden and unprovoked attack. Stephen was later pronounced dead on arrival at hospital with two five-inch-deep stab wounds to his arm and chest.
Police began a surveillance operation on the prime suspects and made a number of arrests, but the Crown Prosecution Service later discontinued the prosecution citing insufficient evidence.
Frustrated by lack of action in the case, the Lawrence family launched a private prosecution and a magistrate agreed that a trial should go ahead based on new evidence. Neil Acourt, Luke Knight and Gary Dobson stood trial but the judge instructs the jury to find the defendants ‘not guilty’.
A turning point in history
Four years after his death, the coroner’s inquest was reopened and found that Stephen Lawrence was ‘unlawfully killed by five white youths in an unprovoked racist attack’. The official Police Complaints Authority report found significant weaknesses, omissions and lost opportunities in the investigation, but no evidence of racism.
A public inquiry into Stephen’s case was held in 1998, creating the , which a called ‘one of the most important moments in the modern history of criminal justice in Britain’. According to the Macpherson Report the investigation into Stephen Lawrence’s death was plagued by “a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership.”
Based on fresh forensic analysis, Gary Dobson and David Norris were later convicted of Stephen’s murder in 2012.
Stephen’s parents, Neville and Doreen Lawrence, founded the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in 1998 to help create a positive legacy from the tragic death of her son.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence became Chancellor of Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ in 2016. Inspired by her loan of archival materials which document the history of the Lawrence family’s fight for justice the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at Âéw¶¹´«Ã½ was established to help continue Stephen’s legacy by creating impact through research-led initiatives on a local, national and global scale.
National Stephen Lawrence Day 22 April
The 22 April 2018 marked the 25th anniversary of the senseless murder of Stephen Lawrence, a young man who had a bright future ahead of him.
At the memorial service to celebrate his life, the former Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced the annual national commemoration of Stephen Lawrence Day which is to be held each year on 22 April.
Schools and their communities are invited to use the memory of Stephen’s life and legacy as an opportunity to empower young people in their care to live their best life. .