Met Police Chief Mark Rowley Pays Tribute on 30th Anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s Murder
Thirty Years On, A Heartfelt Apology
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has issued a powerful statement marking 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was tragically killed.
He said, “Thirty years on from Stephen’s murder, we offer our sympathies to the Lawrence family on their unimaginable loss. He was a dearly loved son and brother, taken far too soon in such senseless circumstances.”
Justice Fight Inspires, But Failings Still Haunt
Sir Mark praised the Lawrence family’s tireless battle for justice, calling their fight “a source of inspiration for us and so many.” But he openly admitted the Met’s failures. “I apologise again for our past failings which will have made the grief of losing a loved one all the more difficult.”
Systemic Issues Still Plague the Met
Reflecting on the Casey Review and the infamous Macpherson Report, Rowley acknowledged that progress has been made but “we did not dig deep enough to confront the cultural and systemic failings that allow discrimination to propagate.”
He continued, “We have let Black communities down. They feel over-policed and under-protected.”
A Promise to Change
Sir Mark vowed, “The responsibility for righting those wrongs starts with those of us in leadership but continues through every rank and role in our organisation.”
He concluded with a commitment to reform: “I and the good majority of our officers are resolved to finally make the Met determinedly anti-racist and anti-discriminatory of all kinds.”
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