Tuesday, April 22, 2003

TEN YEARS AGO TODAY

Today is one of those very sad, equally poignant anniversaries. It is a day to stop and think about the society we live in, to reflect on what we tolerate in that supposedly civilised society.

Ten years ago, Stephen Lawrence and his friend were waiting at a bus stop in South East London. They were approached by a bunch of young men. Lawrence was black, the young men white. Lawrence was set upon and stabbed by one or more of the men. Lawrence died from his injuries as he tried to run to catch the bus.

None of his assailants has been convicted. The police, according to the independent McPherson Report, bungled the investigation in part because the Metropolitan Police suffered from "institutional racism".

This was no ordinary murder. It became pretty clear from the early days of the bungled police investigation that the perpetrators were motivated by overt hatred - sheer racism.

As the report said, "[his murder] was an affront to society, and especially to the local black community in Greenwich." That it has remained unsolved "is an affront both to the Lawrence family and the community at large."

The bungling by the police meant that 5 years later the Government called for an Inquiry. It is worth noting that the previous Conservative administration turned a blind eye to all this and when McPherson published the findings of his inquiry, the opposition Conservative leader (step forward William Hague) tried to rubbish those findings.

Lawrence, by all accounts, was a normal kid with ambitions to be an architect. Despite living in a run down area, he seems to have steered clear of trouble that is pretty much endemic in inner London. He was never allowed to fulfil his dream because of a bunch of thugs.

The Metropolitan Police have a tough task. However, they do not seem to have covered themselves in glory in the Lawrence case. It is a stark contrast to the Jill Dando murder where Barry George was convicted on the slimmest of evidence. Of the information available in the public domain, it is likely that the police know the Lawrence killers. Indeed, the family took out a private prosecution (against the advice of the police and the Crown Prosecution Service) against some of them. The case fell apart, which has only made the tragedy all that greater. But, the killers are out there. Some of them were not part of that failed case, so there is hope that they will be brought to justice.

Murder, whatever the circumstances, is devastating. I cannot imagine the feelings of the families left behind. Lawrence's parents separated. The pain of their son's murder and the glare of publicity must have played a part.

There are, of course, other murders. There was one up the road from me last week. They are all heinous crimes. But, the Lawrence case stands apart because it is a milestone (and a sad one at that) on the road to social justice.

More...

Met still "racist"

What happened ten years ago.

:: Posted by pete @ 16:51