Stephen Lawrence – May orders police corruption review

Just 24 hours after the Met Police released the findings of its own review which could find no evidence of police corruption in the Stephen Lawrence murder, Home Secretary Theresa May has ordered an independent review into allegations that police corruption shielded Lawrence’s killers.

Mrs May has over-ruled Scotland Yard, which said its own inquiries into the corruption claims found no new evidence that would warrant a further investigation.

The Met review began in March after allegations about corruption in the Lawrence case made in the Guardian and Independent. The claims centre on former Met commander Ray Adams, who was a senior officer in the south London area where Stephen was murdered, and former detective sergeant John Davidson, and his relationship with Clifford Norris, David Norris's father.

Adams and Davidson had been the subjects of internal corruption investigations, after which neither officer faced disciplinary or criminal charges. They retired on full police pensions and denied any wrongdoing. Adams, who left the force because of a bad back, went on to work at a Rupert Murdoch-owned company, NDS, in a senior security role.

The drawn out process of reviews, inquiries, investigations has meant that almost 20 years after the racist murder, Stephen is still not able to rest in peace.

Whilst we welcome this latest review by the Home Secretary, the question that has to be asked, is will Stephen and the Lawrence family ever get the justice that they deserve?

Francine Fernandes