Dear friends
This appeal comes from the parents of murdered Black
youth Stephen Lawrence, killed 22 April 1993 waiting for
a bus home in a quiet Eltham, London street; the fourth
racist murder in two years in Greenwich, dubbed 'race
murder capital'.
Doreen and Neville Lawrence launched Britain's first
private prosecution to bring Stephen's killers to
justice. This has implications everywhere, and we hope
you will find it in you to help in some way, no matter
how small.
Their overwhelming need is for finance. Lawyers are all
providing their services free, but the costs of the case
are bound to be high. Contributions, messages or
enquiries should be sent to:
Stephen Lawrence Family Campaign
P.O Box 3433,
London SE18 3SS
Doreen and Neville lost their son, and now risk their
future to end a threat to all of us. We all owe them; it
is our future at stake.
Appeal follows
==============
>From Doreen and Neville Lawrence
Dear friend
The Price for Justice
Two years have now passed since the murder of our son
Stephen on the Well Hall Road on 22nd April 1993.
Stephen was murdered 200 yards from the place where 16
year old Rohit Duggal fell prey to another brutal and
senseless racial murder and both died in the same borough
which saw young Rolan Adams fatally slain.
All these murders contributed to Greenwich being dubbed
"the racist murder capital of London" with both the
presence of the BNP office in Welling and the spiralling
increase in day to day racial violence and harassment
reinfircing the dread fear of every black parent in South
London that their son or daughter, relative or friend is
a permanent target for assault or abuse.
But unlike the murder of Rohit Duggal and Rolan Adams no
one has faced justice. Stephen's murderers are still free
to roam the streets and if the Police and the Crown
Prosecution Service have their way they will never face
prosecution. The Investigation into Stephen's murder has
been officially closed despite evidence in the possession
of both the Police and the CPS that our own legal
representatives regard as "strong enough to bring a
prosecution".
The failure of the Crown Prosecution Service to test the
evidence they possessed in a criminal court came at the
time when high profile cases bought by the CPS and
costing the taxpayer millions of pounds were seen to
collapse in mid trial on even scantier evidence.
The CPS and the police may be able to rest comfortably on
this catalogue of error and complacency but for us, and
many other families left behind after brutal racist
attacks and murders, there is only one thing that will
make us rest: when Stephen's murderers and the hidden
perpetrators of all racial attacks and murders are bought
to justice and for the whole truth to be known.
That is why we are writing to you today on the eve of an
historic challenge to mount our own private criminal
prosecution against the perpetrators of Stephen's murder
and our desperate need for dunds to support both the
legal action and campaign - The Price for Justice.
When you receive this letter papers will already have
been issued from the court to bring proceedings that will
result in the trial that both the police and the CPS did
not want.
The Price for Justice aims also to highlight the
consistent way in which justice is denied to the victims
of racial violence and murders.
The Price for Justice aims to gather together all people
who believe that no racial murder should ever remain
unprosecuted.
But the Price for Justice is a high one and involves
risks - defeat alone could result in us facing legal
costs - but it is a risk we are prepared to take.
Can you help ensure that the truth behind Stephen's
murder and justice for victims of racial murder can
finally be achieved? Any contributions, however small,
will be gratefully received. If you are a member of a
group which has its own mailing list, please contact the
Stephen Lawrence Family Campaign where fundraising
materials will be provided for your use.
Pass this letter on to friends or colleagues who you know
will support our aims. If you are a member of a trade
union please tell them about the Price for Justice and
encourage their support.
With your help and support, which has sustained us
throughout the years, the final hurdle in our campaign
will be reached and justice, so often absent in Stephen's
and many other cases, will finally have been achieved.
Doreen and Neville Lawrence
