New TV drama highlights Stephen Lawrence family’s fight for justice
A new drama about the murder of Stephen Lawrence will be set 13 years after the black teenager was killed and will depict his parents’ fight for justice.
Stephen, which has been commissioned by ITV, will be a three-part sequel to 1999’s The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence and will portray events from 2006.
It will tell the story of the ongoing struggle by his parents Doreen and Neville Lawrence to achieve justice and how a detective, DCI Clive Driscoll – working closely with the Lawrences – put together an investigation that finally secured the convictions of two of the gang who committed the murder, more than 18 years later.
The Lawrences’ son was murdered in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993.
The original investigation failed to convict those responsible, and the campaign for justice by the Lawrences led to a public inquiry which branded the Metropolitan Police institutionally racist and brought about sweeping changes in the law and police practices.
However, six years on from the inquiry, no progress had been made in the case.
The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence, which was written and directed by Paul Greengrass and produced by Mark Redhead, will be repeated on ITV on July 16.
Alive discussion programme entitled Stephen Lawrence: Has britain changed? will also air on ITV immediately before the re-broadcast.
Baroness Lawrence said: “I am pleased that The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence is being broadcast again.
“Though the events portrayed in the film took place many years ago, they are even more relevant today. I am aware that the experience of police racism that we suffered as a family has been the experience of many in the UK.
“I hope that the film and the drama which has been commissioned will provide some insight into what we went through and give some hope to others that justice can eventually prevail.”