Stephen: The Murder That Changed A Nation

Episode one: The Loss of Joy. This landmark three-part documentary, from critically-acclaimed filmmakers Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees, and directed by James Rogan, plunges viewers into the story of Britain’s most notorious racially-motivated murder.

25 years ago, on 22 April, a black teenager, Stephen Lawrence was murdered at a bus stop by a group of white youths in an unprovoked attack. Failures in the police investigation meant the killers walked free. Stephen’s parents, Doreen and Neville Lawrence took up the fight for justice for their murdered son. This landmark three part series is the definitive account of a loving family, and a grieving mother, who simply would not take no for an answer, and who took on the establishment and forced it to change.

The series charts 25 years of Doreen Lawrence’s struggle for justice through all its twists and turns; the police investigations, dramatic interventions from Nelson Mandela and the Daily Mail, revelations of institutional racism in the police and suspicions of corruption, bringing us right up to the present day in a case that remains active, with many questions still unanswered. It is told through the eyes of the people who have been directly involved, from the family (Doreen and Neville Lawrence) and Stephen’s friend who was with him on the night (Duwayne Brooks) to the police (former Police Commissioner Lord Paul Condon and Police Commissioner Cressida Dick) and politicians (Jack Straw and Theresa May). At the heart of the series is Stephen, the promising and much-loved 18-year-old, who was killed because of the colour of his skin. Never-before-seen footage and photos of Stephen, along with testimony from his family, friends and neighbours help to capture for the first time the devastating tragedy of that fateful night 22 April 1993.

Episode one focuses on the run-up to Stephen’s murder and the police investigation that follows. As the suspects remain free, tip-offs from the community worry Doreen and Neville as to why the police are not making arrests. A visit from Nelson Mandela seems to prompt action. But Stephen’s friend Duwayne, also a victim of the attack, gets into difficulty with the police. When the charges against the suspects are dropped, Doreen realises she must take action into her own hands.

This episode includes interviews with Doreen Lawrence, Neville Lawrence, Duwayne Brooks, Sir Paul Condon - Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police at the time and Marianne-Jean Baptiste who played Doreen Lawrence in The Murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Publicity contact: FS