Detectives involved in the original investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence in Eltham will not face prosecution. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) upheld the decision not to charge four Metropolitan Police officers after an “extensive review.
Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old Black teenager, was murdered by a racist gang on Well Hall Road in April 1993 while running to catch a bus with his friend, Duwayne Brooks. Only two of his killers, Gary Dobson and David Norris, have been brought to justice.
The CPS reviewed the decision under the Victims’ Right to Review scheme, reconsidering whether the officers had committed offences of misconduct in public office. The CPS acknowledged the decision would be “extremely disappointing” for Stephen’s family and friends.
In April, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologized to Stephen’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, for not fulfilling a promise to address questions from a BBC investigation into the teenager’s murder. The Macpherson Report of 1999 found the initial investigation was hindered by institutional racism within the London police force.
Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS’s Special Crime Division, commented: “The unprovoked and racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 shocked the nation and had a vast impact on the criminal justice system. Significant changes were made to policy and legislation in the wake of Stephen’s death, and in 2012, the CPS successfully prosecuted two men for his murder due to changes in double jeopardy laws.”
Ainslie added, “Following our decision in July 2023 not to bring criminal charges against four police officers involved in the initial six weeks of the investigation, we received a request to review the decision under the Victims’ Right to Review scheme. An extensive review, involving an independent prosecutor re-examining substantial evidence and material, has now been completed. The review upheld the original decision not to bring any criminal charges against the four officers. We understand this news will be extremely disappointing for Stephen’s family and friends, and the CPS has offered to meet with close family members to explain our reasoning in further detail.”
