Calls for an investigation into police smear claims in Lawrence case
Allegations have today been made that the police sought to smear the family of the murdered teenager Stephan Lawrence. Mark Ellison QC has already initiated an investigation into allegations of police corruption.
Eighteen-year-old Stephan Lawrence was murdered in April 1993, stabbed to death by a gang of white youths at a bus top in Eltham, South-East London. The process of bringing his killers to justice took over eighteen years.
The Guardian reported on Monday that an officer had gained access to anti-racism protest groups to get information that could discredit the family of Stephen Lawrence.
David Cameron was appalled by these claims, stating that he was “deeply concerned” and has called for immediate investigations.
One of the suspects had been released in 1996 but last year, after the discovery of new scientific evidence, he was convicted for the murder of Lawrence along with another man.
The other three suspects remain free and deny any involvement in the stabbing.
Peter Francis, a former undercover police officer, claimed that his superiors pressured him to try and undermine an in-depth investigation into Lawrence’s murder.
Francis added that senior officials feared the start of a riot, similar to those in Los Angeles in 1992.
This incident, incited by racial hatred, was a turning point in the fight against racism, prompting new laws to prevent such a tragedy from occurring again.
Lawrence’s family, including his mother Doreen, believe that “nothing could justify” such an unsympathetic action.
Kardelen Yuce
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