In a blog entry at NBC, Jason Jouavel writes about the conviction and sentencing of two men in the racially motivated killing of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. Nearly two decades later, Jouavel still feels anxious walking through certain streets in Eltham after dark.
Lawrence, 18,Β was stabbed to deathΒ by a gang of white youths in an unprovoked attack as he waited atΒ the bus stop in Eltham in 1993. The investigation was bungled andΒ despite multiple court appearances by suspects over the years no one was convicted until Tuesday.
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At least three people involved in Lawrence'sΒ slayingΒ remain at large andΒ to this dayΒ a notable lack ofΒ local peopleΒ have come forward with information about what happened.
Duwayne Brooks, who was withΒ Lawrence at the time of the attack,Β told investigators that they had been racially abused before the stabbing. However, policeΒ initially treatedΒ BrooksΒ like a suspect βΒ as opposed to aΒ key witness.
The crime also resulted in a 1999Β public inquiryΒ that branded London's Metropolitan Police force as "institutionally racist." β¦
Many young black men in London complainΒ about being prejudged and stereotyped.Β
I was astonished when a well-educatedΒ acquaintanceΒ told me she thought that black people should be stopped because they commit most crimes as weΒ casually discussedΒ last summer's London riots. I wonder whether thisΒ is also the view of some police officers.
Read Jason Jouavel's entire blog entry at NBC.Β
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