Listen to Hannah Ratcliffe’s report on Stephen’s story…
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22nd April 2008
Memorial Service
A memorial service was held today to mark the 15th anniversary of the death of Stephen Lawrence. The service was held at the St. Martins-in-the-Field Church in Trafalgar Square. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, spoke to invited guests at the service. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative Leader David Cameron and Lib Dem Leader Brian Paddick were amongst the congregation.
Unsolved Murder
It is fifteen years ago today since Stephen Lawrence was murdered and still, no one has been convicted of his murder. Stephen had been waiting for a night bus with a friend in Eltham, South East London when he became the victim of a fatal stabbing. The attack was unprovoked and is thought to have been racially motivated.
Vandalisim haunts the Stephen Lawrence Centre
Based in Deptford, the Stephen Lawrence Centre is a place where young people from deprived backgrounds can make a start in careers in urban design, building and architecture. Just a week after it opened the glass front of the Centre was vandalised, causing over £100,000 worth of damage. Doreen Lawrence, Stephen’s mother, has found it difficult to deal with the damage to the Centre. She says, “it is really hard, especially over the last few months with what’s been happening at the Stephen Lawrence Centre.”
Missing targets
The 15th anniversary of Stephen’s death comes at a time when targets, set by the inquiry into the investigation of his murder, look unlikely to be met by Police forces across the country. The MacPhearson Inquiry set ethnic minority recruitment targets, Forces across England and Wales had nine years to reach these targets. The Association of Chief Police Officers insists the police are no longer institutionally racist, despite almost two thirds of England and Wales’ Police forces looking likely to miss their ethnic minorty recruitment targets.
