NEVER FORGOTTEN
What is Stephen Lawrence Day and when does it fall?
Find out if his parents ever received justice
MURDERED teenager Stephen Lawrence will be remembered every year on the anniversary of his death.
2024 marks 31 years since he was mindlessly killed in a south London street.
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What is Stephen Lawrence Day?
The murdered 18-year-old will be commemorated every year on April 22 – the anniversary of his killing.
Theresa May made the announcement on April 23, 2018, at a church service in London marking the 25th anniversary of his death.
She said the occasion would be used to “support young people” to attain their life goals as well as being a memorial to the would-be architect who was murdered by racist thugs in 1993.
The then-Prime Minister said: “For the past 25 years, Doreen and Neville have fought heroically to ensure that their son’s life and death will never be forgotten.
“Their dignity, their courage and their sheer determination are an inspiration to us all.
“We are privileged to be here today at this special final anniversary service to commemorate Stephen.
“But it is right that Stephen’s name and legacy lives on. In the run-up to this service, I have spoken with Baroness Lawrence about how best to achieve this.
“And so, today, with Baroness Lawrence’s blessing, I can announce that the Government will work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to establish a national, annual commemoration of Stephen’s life and legacy, to take place on April 22 each year - Stephen Lawrence Day.
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“We will use this day to encourage and support young people in achieving their dreams, and to reflect on Stephen’s life, death and the positive change he has inspired.”
What did Stephen Lawrence's parents say?
Stephen’s parents both welcomed the news after years of fighting for justice for their son.
Neville Lawrence said: "That is one of the best things I have heard for years. I think I will sleep peacefully in my bed tonight.
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"We have got some justice and now this is like a mark of what we have been trying to do for years - our son's memory is going to be enshrined in history."
Baroness Lawrence added: "Stephen was denied his voice but the Stephen Lawrence Day will be an opportunity for young people to use their voices and should be embedded in our education and wider system regardless of the government of the day.
"I look forward to working with the Government to deliver the first day on April 22, 2019."
What happened to Stephen Lawrence?
Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack in Eltham, South-East London in a case that rocked the country.
The black teenager was murdered as he waited at a bus stop with his friend Duwayne Brooks on April 22, 1993.
What followed was a landmark battle for justice led by Stephen's family and two judicial reviews that would expose racism within the Metropolitan Police.
In May and June 1993, police arrested five people and charged two, but the charges were dropped a month later with cops saying Duwayne's ID evidence was unreliable.
The following year, the CPS again refused to prosecute suspects - despite new evidence being brought forward.
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Stephen's furious parents launched a private prosecution against Gary Dobson, Luke Knight and Neil Acourt, but it failed in 1996 when Duwayne's ID evidence was declared inadmissible.
In February 1997, an inquest ruled that Stephen was killed in a "completely unprovoked racist attack by five youths".
The following day, the Daily Mail named five men as Stephen's killers and invited them to sue the paper.
In May 2011, Gary Dobson and David Norris finally faced trial for Stephen's murder following a review of forensic evidence that found the victim's DNA on the defendants' clothes.
The double jeopardy legal principle had also been dropped in 2005 allowing the killers to stand trial for the second time for the same crime.
On January 3, 2012, both received life sentences with Dobson jailed for a minimum of 15 years and two months Norris for 14 years and three months.
We stayed together for another six years, but from that day we never physically touched each other again”
Neville
Stephen's mother Doreen and father Neville campaigned tirelessly for justice and policing reforms following his murder and his mum is now a Baroness sitting in the House of Lords.
Who were Stephen Lawrence's parents?
Baroness Doreen Lawrence was born in Jamaica in 1952.
She emigrated to England when she was nine years old and went on to complete her education in South East London.
She then worked in the bank.
Born ten years earlier, Neville also moved to Britain from Jamaica and worked initially as a handyman and decorator.
Neville and Doreen got married in 1972 but divorced in 1999, six years after their son's death.
Neville has said of the split: “Our world began falling apart from the moment the hospital staff told us our son had died.
“For some reason that I have tried to understand, and can’t, we couldn’t reach out to each other.
"We stayed together for another six years, but from that day we never physically touched each other again.”
New ITV drama Stephen shows heartbreaking reconstruction of Stephen Lawrence’s murder
Did Stephen Lawrence's parents get compensation?
The Metropolitan Police agreed to pay £320,000 compensation to his parents for its failures during and after the investigation.
A deal was reached following protracted talks between lawyers for the parents and the Metropolitan Police Authority.
It ended the gruelling seven-year battle Doreen and Neville Lawrence had fought with the Met.
How many siblings did Stephen Lawrence have?
Stephen had two siblings - Stuart and Georgina.
His sister has stayed out of the spotlight after his death.
However, their mother Doreen has in the past spoken of how it affected her.
Speaking to the Press Association, Mrs Lawrence said of Stuart and Georgina: "Their lives have been affected more than anyone would know from the outside.
"They do the best they can and, like me, they don't really dwell that much, but you know in their moments how depressing it is for them.
"They've got their own families now. So, like we all do, they try to move forward and make the best of what they have. But those moments are always there, you can't get rid of them."
Stuart is the younger brother of Stephen.
Unlike dad Neville who said he had forgiven the thugs who butchered his son to death, Stuart said he can't bring himself to do the same.
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
The Stephen Lawrence Family Campaign was founded in 1994.
It aims to raise money to help work with young people, communities and organisations to create a society that recognises and values them.
The foundation is by Stephen’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, which will continue to commemorate his memory.
In 2020, the charity said it had reached more than 1,200 young people to offer careers advice, and provided bursaries to students at 13 different universities.
What does Stephen Lawrence's brother do?
Stuart worked for the Home Office and HMP Belmarsh.
He then spent 15 years in the educational field as a teacher for over 15 years.
He now works as a consultant and public speaker.
Following his brother's death, Stuart wrote a book called Growing Up Black in Britain.
What is the movie about Stephen Lawrence?
The Murder of Stephen Lawrence is a true crime drama film.
It won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama.
The movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
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