1993: Lawrence murder suspects freed
Charges have been dropped against two youths accused of murdering black teenager Stephen Lawrence.
Stephen Lawrence, an A-level student from Eltham in south-east London, was stabbed to death as he waited at a bus stop with a friend last April.
Police described a racially motivated, "outrageous and senseless" assault on Mr Lawrence, 18, by a gang of between four and six white youths.
Two boys from Lewisham, aged 16 and 17 at the time of the murder, were summoned to a special hearing at New Thames youth court this morning.
They were due to be committed for trial next week but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was "insufficient evidence to provide a real prospect of conviction".
Scotland Yard detectives have interviewed 2,500 people in connection with the incident, but they refused to comment on the CPS decision.
The murder inquiry continues and charges may be reinstated at a later date. Two other teenagers, arrested on 7 May, remain on bail. The Lawrence family solicitor, Imran Khan, feared local racial unrest in the light of the CPS action.
He said: "It is quite unbelievable that the police have been unable to secure the evidence required to commit these youths for trial after three months."
There were anti-racist demonstrations across London after Stephen Lawrence's murder and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela visited the family when he was last in the UK.
Mr Lawrence's parents are in Jamaica to bury their son, but intend to return to the UK for the trial.
Stephen's father Neville called for the British National Party headquarters in Welling to be closed down after his son's funeral in nearby Woolwich last month.
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