On the 20th anniversary of his death, Prime Minister David Cameron has said that the senseless killing of Stephen Lawrence had sparked “monumental change in our society”.
Stephen, 18, was murdered in a racist attack at a South London bus stop on 22 April 1993.
Speaking ahead of today’s memorial service, the Prime Minister also paid tribute to the Lawrence family for their tireless efforts in campaigning for justice.
The Prime Minister said:
The senseless killing of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 was a tragedy. It was also a moment that sparked monumental change in our society - change that has been brought about by the tireless efforts of Stephen’s family in challenging the police, Government and society to examine themselves and ask difficult questions.
I believe that many of those questions have been answered: from improved community relations to more accountability in policing. Much has been achieved, but we know that more still needs to be done. We owe this to the memory of Stephen.