| The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry | |||
CHAPTER FOUR MR & MRS LAWRENCE AND STEPHEN 4.1 Neville and Doreen Lawrence have together been the mainspring of this Inquiry. Their persistence and courage in the face of tragedy and bitter disillusionment and disappointment have been outstanding. They attended virtually all the hearings of the Inquiry including those held in Part 2 out of London. Their dignity and courtesy have been an example to all throughout. 4.2 Neville Lawrence came to England in 1960 from Jamaica. Doreen Lawrence came to England from Jamaica in 1962. They met in South London in 1970, and they were married at Lewisham in 1972. Stephen was born on 13 September 1974. At that time the family lived in Plumstead. 4.3 Both Neville and Doreen Lawrence told their own story in their own words at the Inquiry. It would be impudent to try to summarise all that they said. Both their statements are set out in full in the Appendices to our Report. The transcript of Day 42 will show that Neville and Doreen Lawrence answered questions put by Miss Weekes on behalf of the Inquiry. Mr Gompertz asked some questions of Doreen Lawrence. The nature and content of the questions made Mrs Lawrence protest that her perception was that she was being put on trial. Wisely Mr Gompertz desisted. Neville Lawrence was not questioned except by Miss Weekes. 4.4 It does seem right simply to quote a small number of passages from their evidence which highlight some of their deep-seated feelings about the case. Day 42. Page 8072. Doreen Lawrence. "Basically, we were seen as gullible simpletons. This is best shown by Detective Chief Superintendent Ilsley's comment that I had obviously been primed to ask questions. Presumably, there is no possibility of me being an intelligent, black woman with thoughts of her own who is able to ask questions for herself. We were patronised and were fobbed off... I thought that the purpose of the meetings was to give us progress reports, but what actually happened was that they would effectively say: "Stop questioning us. We are doing everything"... ...we hoped to get some feedback from the Barker review... ...he promised that we would meet again so that he could tell us what he had found out. That was the first and last time we ever saw him." Day 42. Page 8089. Doreen Lawrence. "No black person can ever trust the police. This idea is not preconceived. It is based on experience and people that I know who have had bad experiences with the police." "DCS Ilsley believed that we were primed beforehand, that we were told what sort of questions to ask and how to ask them. There was one incident that stuck out in my mind when I was asking about the boys in prison. I was asking: "Why couldn't they put a bug in with them in the room to listen to what was being said", because if they wouldn't talk to the police they would talk to individuals. Ilsley said: "We don't do things like this. No way." I could remember he was very angry because he assumed that I was told to ask the question. ......... There were many incidents like this where they patronised me as if I can't think for myself." Day 42. Page 8108. Doreen Lawrence. Question - "Those you had connections with, those that you dealt with, is it your case that their attitude towards you was racist?" Answer - "It was a patronising way in which they dealt with me and that came across as being racist." Day 42. Page 8131. Neville Lawrence. "It is clear to me that the police come in with the idea that the family of black victims are violent criminals who are not to be trusted." Day 42. Page 8133. Neville Lawrence. "When the committal took place it was the first time I heard the details of what happened on the night; this was three years later." 4.5 Neville Lawrence ended his statement with these words:- "One of the things that I hope will come out of the Inquiry is for everyone to see that the things we have been saying for the past 5 years are true. I hope that this can be a step towards ensuring that when another tragedy is suffered by the black community the police act responsibly and investigate the crime properly. When a policeman puts his uniform on, he should forget all his prejudices. If he cannot do that, then he should not be doing the job because that means that one part of the population is not protected from the likes of those who murdered Stephen." 4.6 Perhaps Neville Lawrence will feel that the long trauma of the Inquiry may have been worthwhile. Overall he is shown to have been right as to his misgivings and criticism of the conduct of the investigation into Stephen's murder. 4.7 Doreen Lawrence ended her statement with these words:- "I would like Stephen to be remembered as a young man who had a future. He was well loved, and had he been given the chance to survive maybe he would have been the one to bridge the gap between black and white because he didn't distinguish between black or white. He saw people as people." 4.8 Perhaps as time passes Doreen Lawrence will be able to see and to believe that the start of the building of that bridge has sprung from all that has followed her son's death. At least this Inquiry has explored and exposed the flaws in the investigation of the murder. 4.9 These extracts, and indeed their full statements show that Neville and Doreen Lawrence feel deeply that they were patronised and side-lined. Together with many others they have an inherent distrust which the police must move fundamentally to overcome. Any protestation that Mr & Mrs Lawrence's attitude stems from perception and not reality must be abandoned. Only when the police show movement can they expect response from minority ethnic communities. That shift must be fundamental and may take time. But it must be achieved. 4.10 No doubt Neville Lawrence and Doreen Lawrence will still hope that justice may be done, and that the murderers, or some of them, will eventually be convicted. The case will never be closed until then. 4.11 Stephen Lawrence was only 18 years old when he was murdered. He was happy and, as Doreen Lawrence told us, very bright. He wanted to be an architect. He was healthy and athletic, and he was much loved. Neville and Doreen Lawrence's accounts of his life and his character should not be summarised. They too appear in full in their moving evidence. Nothing can compensate for the loss the family suffered in Stephen's death at the hands of violent racists on 22 April 1993. His legacy must be the root and branch change that has to take place in society. 4.12 At the final meeting of the Inquiry at Birmingham on 13 November 1998 Neville Lawrence said this, at the end of the day's hearing:- "We know at this point we need to accept the inevitable that things are wrong. I have just had quite a few interviews and one of the things which I have said is before people can go ahead and make changes, we have to admit what is wrong. It is no use people blaming each other for what has gone wrong in the past. We have to look forward; and we keep talking about the millennium, we have been here for a very long time and lot of us are not going anywhere, we have brought a lot of diversity, we have brought change, cultural, music, food everything. This is a very small place, this world of ours, we have to live together and we now have to say; let us put the past behind us, join hands and go forward." 4.13 That should be the spirit in which the future is approached. Acceptance of the reality of the problem is first and foremost. Our hope is that the impact of the case and of the Inquiry is such that everybody's conscience will ensure that the fundamental problems which have been exposed are radically treated, so that there can be real change. Mr & Mrs Lawrence won the confidence of the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, who in July 1997 set up this Inquiry, which does seem to us to have provided a springboard for the future. We believe that the present Government and society as a whole do have the will to achieve that change. Let us all hope that the opportunity will not be missed. Joint action to achieve it can and must then follow.
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