The case of Stephen Lawrence has been the unsolved crime of a generation. The black teenager's murder on the streets of London in 1993 was followed by gross investigative errors, an inquiry into police dealings with racially-motivated crimes, the overturning of legal tradition-and, finally, justice. On January 3rd two white men were convicted of murdering Mr Lawrence. Gary Dobson and David Norris were sentenced to 15 and 14 years in prison, respectively. The sentences were relatively short because the men were under 18 at the time of the killing and because tougher penalties for racially-aggravated crimes were not yet on the books. Mr Lawrence was set upon by a gang thought to have comprised at least five men. A baleful catalogue of police errors followed. Officers took inadequate notes and treated Duwayne Brooks, a vital witness, shabbily. Although names of key suspects were known to the police within 24 hours of the murder, no dedicated operation was set up for four days. Evidence was contaminated by sloppy police work. Surveillance of gang members failed to yield results.
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