Stephen Lawrence remembered 30 years after murder

Murdered teenager's family gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to mark 30th anniversary of his death

From left: Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, Labour leader Keir Starmer, the victim's brother Stuart Lawrence, and mother Doreen Lawrence, former Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, Mayor of London SadiqShow more

The family of Stephen Lawrence gathered at a church on Trafalgar Square in London to mark the 30th anniversary of the murdered teenager's death on Saturday.

Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially-motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham in south-east London in 1993, when he was 18 years old.

The original investigation into his murder was hampered by racism and alleged police corruption, which meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-old's five killers to be brought to justice.

As well as Mr Lawrence's family, the leader of Britain's opposition Labour party, Keir Starmer and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan attended Saturday's memorial service at the Martin-in-the-Fields church.

The memorial comes a day after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted that the force "did not dig deep enough" to root out racism since Mr Lawrence's murder.

He apologised for the shortcomings after the killing, which led to the police force's response to it being branded institutionally racist in the subsequent Macpherson Report, which was made public in 1999.

The Met commissioner said black people continue to feel "over-policed and under-protected", and that there remain too few black officers.

"Thirty years on from Stephen's murder, we offer our sympathies to the Lawrence family on their unimaginable loss," he said.

"He was a dearly loved son and brother who was taken from them far too soon and in such senseless circumstances.

"Their dignified fight for justice, conducted in the pressure of the public eye with unwavering determination over so many years, continues to be a source of inspiration for us and so many.

"On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I apologise again for our past failings which will have made the grief of losing a loved one all the more difficult to endure."

'Still no changes, and still denials'

A further report into the Metropolitan Police published last month by Baroness Louise Casey found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic after a number of recent of scandals.

"I don't know how many more inquiries and how many reviews you need to have to say the same thing — and still no changes, and still denials," Stephen Lawrence's mother, Doreen Lawrence told the BBC this week.

"Officers are able to be as brutal as they want, and nobody holds them to account."

Stephen's father, Neville, told Sky News that he will never forgive the police and does not trust them to this day.

"If something happened to me tomorrow morning, who do I call? I wouldn't be calling a bunch of police because I know I wouldn't get the satisfaction of them treating me the way they are supposed to."