Police forces still racist, says Sentamu, 25 years on from Lawrence murder
POLICE forces across Britain are still guilty of institutional racism 25 years after the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Archbishop of York has suggested.
Dr John Sentamu said the recommen- dations made by the Macpherson report, following the racist murder of the black teenager, needed to be revisited and lessons still needed to be learnt.
Speaking on the 25th anniversary of Stephen’s murder in south-east London, Dr Sentamu – who was the Bishop of Stepney at the time – said the murder still had a “chilling effect” on Britain.
And he said it was time to look again at the findings of the Macpherson report, and consider where areas of policing could be improved.
He told Sunday on BBC Radio 4: “I think the 72 recommendations, which were accepted by the then Home Secretary, and there was an action plan… I’m afraid it needs to be revisited by every police service so that they learn.” When asked what needed to be done to improve attitudes that may be considered racist, he said: “I think it is a question of greater training, people need to be more vigilant and they need to realise that if you stereotype people, you end up disadvantaging them.”
Stephen was set upon by a gang of white racists at a bus stop in Eltham in April 1993.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend a memorial service today, where they will deliver a personal message of support to the family from his father, the Prince of Wales.
The Prince will read his father’s message, which is expected to express his sympathy and acknowledge the courage and dignity of the Lawrence family, at the service in St Martin-in-the-fields.
The Prince and Ms Markle will meet Stephen’s mother, Baroness Lawrence, and his brother, Stuart, at the event to “celebrate his life and legacy”, including the charitable trust set up in his name.
The Prince of Wales, who delivered the annual Stephen Lawrence Memorial Lecture in 2000, was invited because of his interest in the built environment reflects Stephen’s ambition to be an architect.
The police investigation into the murder was flawed with detectives failing to arrest the main suspects and gather vital evidence.
The Macpherson report later accused the Metropolitan Police of being “institutionally racist”.
After a lengthy campaign for justice by Stephen’s parents, Doreen and Neville Lawrence, David Norris and Gary Dobson were found guilty of murder in 2012, but of the other suspects three remain at large.
‘I’m afraid the report needs to be revisited by every police service so that they learn’