Stephen Lawrence’s mum Doreen admits reliving his death with new ITV drama will be ‘difficult’

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Stephen Lawrence’s mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence has admitted the upcoming ITV drama surrounding his death will be a necessary but ‘difficult’ watch. 

Aspiring architect Stephen was stabbed to death at the age of 18 on April 22, 1993 by a group of white men in an unprovoked attack. 

The horrific murder which devastated the nation will be depicted in the upcoming series Stephen, starring Steve Coogan as real-life detective DCI Clive Driscoll who helped bring two of the teen’s killers to justice. 

Baroness Doreen is glad that the programme will introduce Stephen’s story to a new generation but understandably isn’t looking forward to having to go through her trauma again. 

The activist explained on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain: ‘The drama is mainly looking at the senior officer who in the end got two convictions for Stephen’s murder, so that is a positive. 

‘The next generation is coming up and they have no idea about Stephen and the impact that his death has made on the country and how laws have changed in his name, so that is a positive way of looking forward. 

‘But I think constantly for me is reliving the whole thing around Stephen and that is difficult, very difficult for me.’ 

As for how she’ll commemorate Stephen on the 28th anniversary of his death next Thursday, Baroness Doreen said: ‘I’ll be taking part in school assemblies, speaking to young people to speak about Stephen and his positive role model that I try to make young people see.’ 

The three-part ITV series, Stephen, will focus on the Lawrence family in the years after Stephen’s death. 

It will be a sequel to 1999’s The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, which was written and directed by Paul Greengrass and starred Ashley Walters as Stephen. Greengrass acts as executive producer on the new series. 

ITV said the three episodes are being produced ‘with the full support of the Lawrence family, most notably Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Dr Neville Lawrence, who have given the drama their blessing’. 

The series ‘tells the story of the ongoing struggle by Doreen and Neville Lawrence to achieve justice and how a detective, DCI Clive Driscoll – working closely with the Lawrences – puts together an investigation that finally – more than 18 years after his death – secures the convictions of two of the gang who committed the murder of Stephen’.

A premiere date for ITV’s Stephen is yet to be announced. 

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV. 

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