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Stephen Lawrence smear allegations: Doreen Lawrence demands answers from Metropolitan Police over investigations after 1993 murder

Mrs Lawrence spoke after meeting with Theresa May

Rob Williams
Thursday 27 June 2013 17:36 BST
Doreen Lawrence demanded answers today after meeting Home Secretary Theresa May
Doreen Lawrence demanded answers today after meeting Home Secretary Theresa May (EPA)

The mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence said today she wants answers over claims police tried to smear her family.

Doreen Lawrence, speaking outside the Home Office after a meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May, said she wants a public inquiry into the claims by a former undercover officer that her family were targeted between 1993 and 1997.

She said the Home Secretary had told her that "all options are open".

Black teenager Stephen Lawrence was killed in a racist attack as he waited for a bus in Eltham, south London, in April 1993.

Two men, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were found guilty of his murder by an Old Bailey jury 18 years later.

A public inquiry into the case in 1998 accused the Metropolitan Police of being institutionally racist and listed a number of failings in how the case was handled.

Mrs Lawrence now wants a public inquiry into the claims by a former undercover officer that her family were targeted between 1993 and 1997.

A former undercover police officer, Peter Francis, told the Guardian and Channel 4's Dispatches last week that he posed as an anti-racism campaigner and was told to hunt for "disinformation" to use against those criticising the police.

He claims the aim was to smear the dead teenager's family.

Earlier this week Mrs May said the claims could be investigated by two existing inquiries - a police probe into the activities of undercover officers and another led by Mark Ellison QC into allegations of corruption in the original investigation into Stephen's murder.

Mrs Lawrence said: "She said all options are open and she explained about the different reviews that are going on at the moment and how it could be expanded.

"I made my point quite clear. For the past 20 years the fact that we as a family have been talking about corruption and we have undercover officers trying to smear our family. I want answers. I want to know who was the senior officer who signed that off.

"We had no idea this was going on from 1993 until 1997."

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