London, July 6, (PA Media/dpa/GNA) – Four retired British police officers involved in the original Stephen Lawrence murder investigation, will not face criminal charges, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Black teenager Lawrence was murdered by a gang of five or six racist attackers in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993, as the 18-year-old made his way home with his friend Duwayne Brooks.
It is one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and London’s Metropolitan Police has long been lambasted for its work on the case, with one report labelling it “institutionally racist.”
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided the four ex-officers, who were senior members of the investigation team, will not face charges of misconduct in public office over their handling of the initial six weeks of the murder investigation.
The CPS acknowledged Lawrence’s family would find the decision “deeply disappointing” and offered to meet them to explain “in detail.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog said it was satisfied a six-year probe by the National Crime Agency under its direction had “explored every possible avenue.”
Only two of Lawrence’s killers have faced justice, Gary Dobson and David Norris were finally jailed for life in 2012, after a trial hingeing on tiny traces of forensic evidence.
Last month, the BBC named a sixth suspect in the case for the first time, a man called Matthew White and outlined the bungled handling of the evidence against him.
Two witnesses said White had confessed to being present during the attack, one of whom, his stepfather, was not spoken to by police until 20 years after the murder because officers had previously misidentified him.
Lawrence’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, expressed fury that White, who died in 2021, would never face justice because of police mistakes.
Announcing the decision not to charge the four ex-officers, Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Following a referral by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in 2021, the CPS has carefully considered criminal charges against four officers involved in the early stages of the investigation into Stephen’s murder in 1993.
“Charges of misconduct in public office were considered, concerning the four officers’ management of the initial six weeks of the murder investigation. Having meticulously reviewed substantial amounts of available evidence and material in this complex case, we have decided that no criminal charges will be brought against the four suspects.
“Furthermore, no criminal charges will be brought in relation to a further investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into allegations of perjury by a suspect who alleged corruption in the initial murder investigation as it also did not meet our legal test for prosecution.
“We understand this may be deeply disappointing for Stephen’s family and friends, and the CPS has offered to meet with close family members to explain our decision in detail.”
GNA