Gwent Police mark Stephen Lawrence Day with memorial tree

The inaugural Stephen Lawrence Day was held on Monday, April 22 – the 26th anniversary of the teenager's murder in a racially-motivated attack.

Stephen Lawrence.

And on Tuesday, Gwent Police and the office of the region's police and crime commissioner (PCC) welcomed members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) community to the force's Croesyceiliog base for a commemorative event.

There, Gwent's PCC Jeff Cuthbert said: "Stephen was an innocent teenager and his brutal death on April 22, 1993, sent shockwaves around the world. Race relations in the UK changed forever that day."

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death when he and his friend Duwayne Brooks were attacked by a group of men in Eltham, South London, in 1993.

Two of the group have been convicted of murder, but the rest have evaded justice.

Last year, the UK government said it would work with the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust – set up to transform young people's lives and campaign for social change – to deliver an annual commemoration of the teenager's death, which is widely recognised as a watershed moment in UK race relations.

The Macpherson Report into the investigation of Stephen's death later uncovered "institutional racism" in the police and public sector as a whole.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Cuthbert said: "Thankfully, policing has come a long way since then. I am proud that here in Gwent we are making serious strides to build community cohesion, and ensure our police force and staff are truly representative of the communities they serve."

Attendees hold a moment of silence to remember Stephen Lawrence. Picture: Gwent Police

At the Gwent Police event, guests were also invited to hear from a number of speakers, including Tola Munro, Gwent sergeant and president of the National Black Police Association; Hadassah Radway, of Caribbean Heritage Cymru; and Brian Amos, Gwent Police's new positive action outreach worker.

Chief Constable Williams said: "This day serves as a reminder of the importance that we as a police service continue to make significant progress in tackling all aspects of hate crime, and to provide reassurance to every Gwent community."

Gwent PCC Jeff Cuthbert (left) and Gwent Police chief constable Julian Williams. Picture: Gwent Police