Stephen Lawrence’s father says he will “never forgive the police” three decades after his son’s murder.
Today marks 30 years since the 18-year-old was murdered in a racist attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, southeast London, on 22 April 1993.
His death changed the course of British history and shone a light on racism that permeated through police, public bodies and society as a whole.
But for his father Neville, the anniversary marks “30 years of pain and suffering for me and my family”.
He told Sky News: “Remember this is my first child. The memories I have of Stephen will never go away. I will never forget them, never.”
After Stephens death, the Lawrence family’s lives were turned upside down in their fight for justice, after a police investigation tainted by racism meant it would take 20 years for the killers to be sentenced for murder.
David Norris and Gary Dobson were jailed while three others who were arrested were never prosecuted.
Norris and Dobson have never confessed.
At a parole hearing next year, Mr Lawrence may have the opportunity to face one of his son’s murderers and hopes it may be a good opportunity for him to ask a question that’s been on his mind for 30 years.
“Did you actually kill my son?
“I want (them) to say yes, I killed Stephen Lawrence.”
He added he has found peace and has been able to forgive the men that killed his son.
But the police, well that’s a different matter.
In 1999 a report looking into the police handling of Stephen Lawrence’s case found the investigation had been marred with incompetence and institutional racism.
“I would never forgive the police. As long as they can’t accept what they’re doing is wrong. Because if you don’t accept it, its not going to change,” he said.
In 2023 a review by Baroness Casey found the Met Police is “institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic”.
“I am so disappointed.
“We are still facing the same kind of attitudes.
“Twenty years later for somebody else to come along and say the same thing. That shows you they have no intention of changing their behaviour.”
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He says his trust in police is so strained he wouldn’t even consider calling them if he needed their help.
“If something happened to me tomorrow morning, who do I call? I wouldn’t be calling a bunch of police because I know I wouldn’t get the satisfaction of them treating me the way they are supposed to.”
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He hopes the new report will create a shift in culture which is needed to finally address institutional racism in policing.
When asked about society as a whole, Mr Lawrence was much more optimistic.
Lots of young people weren’t even alive when his son was murdered, but many know of the legacy Stephen behind.
He said: “It feels good to know that I’m here talking to the younger generation.
“For them to do things differently from the ways some of their parents were doing it. I feel grateful for that.
“The only thing I am not too happy about is that it had to take the death of my son for anything like that to happen.”
