Stephen Lawrence
/ˌstiːvn ˈlɒrəns/
/ˌstiːvn ˈlɔːrəns/
- (1974-1993) a black British teenager who was murdered in South London in 1993 by a group of white teenagers. His death and the way it was dealt with by the police became an important national issue. Although several men were charged with his murder, two trials were stopped because there was not enough evidence. In 1997, there was a public inquiry into the case and, as a result, in 1999 the Macpherson Report criticized police for racism (= unfair treatment of people who belong to a different race) in dealing with Stephen's murder and recommended changes to the police in Britain. In 2012, two men, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were found guilty of Lawrence's murder. In 2013 Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, was made a peer (= given a title of 'Baroness') after her campaigns for justice for Stephen and other victims of racism, for police reform (= change and improvement), and for human rights.
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Stephen Lawrence