Met Police apologise to Stephen Lawrence’s mother for breaking promise

The Metropolitan Police have apologised to Stephen Lawrence’s mother after failing to give information on a suspect for his murder.

The force acknowledged it failed to fulfil a promise to Baroness Doreen Lawrence to answer questions about a suspect believed to have been involved in her 18-year-old son’s murder.

Stephen Lawrence was killed by a gang of five or six racist attackers in southeast London while running to catch a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks in April 1993.

Only two people, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were brought to justice for the crime. The duo were jailed for life in 2012.

The BBC named Matthew White as the sixth suspect in the murder in June last year. He died aged 50 in 2021.

On Monday, Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the force recognises “this is a particularly difficult time for the Lawrence family and Duwayne Brooks” and apologised.

“I am sorry our failure to respond in a timely fashion has added to this.

“On top of the failures over the decades this is totally unacceptable.”

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