At the end of April, just two months ago, we marked 30 years since the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in a racist attack in south-east London in 1993. There was an anniversary memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields church and much reflection about how the Metropolitan Police had behaved so poorly and failed the Lawrence family.
The Macpherson report concluded in 1999 that the investigation into the killing had been “marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership”. And yet here we are again in 2023 with more revelations about the case which indicate more unforgivable police failure.
A BBC investigation has named for the first time a fresh suspect called Matthew White, who died in 2021. According to the BBC, witnesses told the police he had been present during the attack and there was then a catalogue of errors around pursuing White as a suspect.
Stephen’s best friend, Duwayne Brooks, who was with him when the attack happened, gave the police eyewitness evidence describing a lead attacker who resembled White but he was clearly ignored. Brooks said: “I never received the basics of support because of my skin colour.” If the police had bothered to do their job properly, according to the family barrister Michael Mansfield, White “should and could have been charged” before his death. Out of five prime suspects, only two were convicted in 2012.
Stephen’s mother, Baroness Lawrence, reacted by saying the latest revelations were “shocking but unsurprising”. She also made the point that White “had evaded justice due to police failure and yet not a single police officer has faced or will ever face action.”
I was a young press officer working at the Home Office when the Macpherson report came out and helped look after the family as there was a huge amount of media interest. I’ll never forget the strength, poise and dignity of the Lawrence family that day and how they fought and fought until exhaustion for some kind of justice for their son. And here they are 30 years later, still having to fight. The toll on them is unimaginable.
It shouldn’t have taken the BBC to unearth these important new details, although full credit to them, especially journalist Daniel De Simone.
Why did the Met not do this? Their failure over Stephen Lawrence has left an indelible stain on their reputation which lives on sickeningly in the aftermath of the murder of Sarah Everard.
The Met must re-open the Lawrence case again without delay and leave no stone unturned. Not only must they pursue every living person involved in this murder but anyone who colluded to cover up or frustrate the investigation, and that includes those within their own ranks. This is not just about those scumbag racist thugs, this is about the heart of the Metropolitan Police.
The Crucible still shocks
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play many of us studied at school but it endures as a classic. The parable of power, abuse, hysteria, shame and judgment feels all the more relevant in this era of social media witch-hunts, although these days everyone says they feel like they’re in a Salem courthouse — including many former leaders from all wings of politics.
But The Crucible still has the power to shock, and I was gripped by the latest production by the National Theatre which has transferred to the Gielgud Theatre. The performances and staging are all stunning but the standout star was Fisayo Akinade, who plays Reverend Hale. He captures all the complexities and contradictions of the character beautifully. The play is also suitably spooky — particularly the courthouse scene. So much so that someone in the row behind me threw up violently. Although I suspect they’d imbibed too much of a different kind of spirit.
