Stephen Lawrence’s mum ‘unsurprised’ by police failures as new murder suspect named

Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old aspiring architect, was murdered on his way home in an unprovoked attack by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993

Aspiring architect Stephen Lawrence (

Image: PA)

Baroness Doreen Lawrence has said she is “unsurprised” over police failures in the investigation into her son’s murder as a sixth suspect is named.

She added that she hopes no other victims will go through what her family has had to endure following the revelations.

Stephen Lawrence, an aspiring architect, was murdered on his way home in an unprovoked attack by a gang of racists in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993.

The original investigation into the 18-year-old’s death was hampered by racism and claims of corruption, with one of the suspects being the son of convicted drug smuggler Clifford Norris.

Detectives had five names passed to them within days of Stephen’s murder, but only two of five or six attackers have ever been brought to justice – Gary Dobson and David Norris, who were jailed for life in 2012.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence (

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PA) Stephen was from South East London (

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The Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE)

On Monday the BBC publicly named Matthew White (who died in 2021 at age 50) as a sixth suspect in the fatal attack, and detailed a series of police failings in handling information linked to him.

In a statement issued through her solicitor, Baroness Lawrence said: “The fact that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) were incompetent in the investigation of my son’s murder is so well-known and established that it doesn’t bear repeating.

“I knew this at the time of the murder but few listened to my concerns. In the 30 or so years since Stephen’s killing, revelations continue to keep coming as to the extent of the failings by the MPS in the investigation.

“The latest revelation that a key suspect in the murder could have, and should have, been properly and thoroughly investigated is shocking but unsurprising.

Matthew White has been named as the sixth suspect in the death of Stephen Lawrence (

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BBC)

“I have got used to the litany of failings in my son’s case.

“What is infuriating about this latest revelation is that the man who is said to have led the murderous attack on my son has evaded justice because of police failures and yet not a single police officer has faced or will ever face action.

“It should not have taken a journalist to do the job that a huge, highly resourced institution should have done.”

Stephen’s murder and the subsequent failure by police to properly investigate have remained in the public gaze since the teenager died.

In 1999 the Macpherson Inquiry into the murder and its aftermath concluded that the Metropolitan Police force was institutionally racist, and in 2014 it emerged that undercover officers had spied on campaigners supporting the Lawrence family as they grieved for their son and campaigned for justice.

Gary Dobson was sentenced to 15 years and two months for Stephen’s murder (

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Metropolitan Police via Getty Images) David Norris, a member of the racist gang which killed Stephen (

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PA)

Baroness Lawrence continued: “It simply beggars belief that those paid to do a job continue failing to do it.

“Constant and repeated apologies from the MPS will not bring my son back and will not give me justice.

“The failure to properly investigate a main suspect in a murder case is so grave that it should be met by serious sanctions.

“Only when police officers lose their jobs can the public have confidence that failure and incompetence will not be tolerated and that change will happen.

“It is too late for me and my family but at least I hope that victims in the future will not go through what we did.”