Doreen Lawrence blames Tory youth service cuts for surge in gang violence Doreen Lawrence has blamed Tory youth service

Key Highlights :

1. Doreen Lawrence has said Tory cuts to youth services have led to the rise in violence among young people.

2. The mum of Stephen Lawrence criticised the slashing of funding as she warned children are ending up on the streets and in gangs.

3. Speaking at an event with Keir Starmer to mark the 30th anniversary of her son’s murder next Saturday, Baroness Lawrence said she wants to see “more young people survive” as she declared “change really needs to happen”.

4. Baroness Lawrence said funding cuts to youth services and closures of centres were “significant” when looking at the rise of youth violence in the last 13 years.

5. Stephen Lawrence's case led to the partial scrapping of the double jeopardy legal principle which says a person cannot be trialled for the same crime twice. Two of Stephen’s murderers, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were finally convicted in 2012, almost 20 years after they killed him.

6. An inquiry into the Met ruled the police service was “institutionally racist” after its botched handling of the investigation in 1999. Gary Dobson, left, and David Norris, right, finally were convicted of murdering Stephen Lawrence in 2012 ( Image: CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE/AFP vi)

7. Baroness Lawrence added: “I think when we look around and see our society now, we talk about the amount of children and young people who are dying in our streets - it took such a long time for people to look at it and say, you know, this is really really bad.”

8. It took a “long time” for people to start “accepting that this is a death of a young person”.

9. Mr Starmer, who as director of public prosecutions put away some of Britain's most prolific criminals, praised Baroness Lawrence as an “inspiration”.

     Thirty years ago next week, Doreen Lawrence's son, Stephen, was killed by a racist mob in a horrific attack. The anniversary of his death is a time to remember and reflect on the senselessness of his death, and to call for change.

     Doreen Lawrence spoke at an event to mark the anniversary of her son's death, and warned that children have "nowhere to go" if they are faced with racism and violence. She said that Stephen's death "opened my eyes to the reality of racism" and that she is determined to fight against it.

     Doreen Lawrence is an inspiration to us all, and her message of hope and resilience is needed more than ever. We must continue to fight against racism and violence, and make sure that Stephen's death was not in vain.

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