Stephen Lawrence’s body to be returned to UK 31 years after murder

Doreen, the mother of Stephen Lawrence, announced that his body will be brought back to the UK from Jamaica, where he was killed in a racist attack, after 31 years.

Lady Lawrence expressed through her lawyer that seeing pictures of her son's grave on social media after his body had been removed was upsetting for the family.

I read a message that said: "My family and I saw some pictures on social media of my son's grave. After my son Stephen died, we buried him in Jamaica because we thought he wouldn't be at peace here. But now, after 31 years, my family has decided that we want to bring Stephen's remains back home to be closer to us."

Lawrence mentioned that the pictures were captured following the funeral home digging up her son's body. She explained that the family felt upset when the grave was left exposed to everyone and felt that the funeral home did not consider their emotions and need for privacy.

The message went on to say: "The pictures that are going around were captured after the funeral home dug up Stephen's body. Yet, we are upset with the funeral home for not showing respect for our emotions and privacy. This is clear from the choice to keep Stephen's grave open for everyone to see, instead of keeping it closed."

We are saddened by the person who decided to share pictures on social media without thinking about how it could affect our family.

"We had planned to handle this delicate matter in a private manner, but unfortunately, we were unable to do so. We are sorry for any distress caused by those who viewed the images and ask that they be taken down from all media outlets to respect our privacy."

Please be considerate of our need for privacy at this time.

In April 1993, Stephen Lawrence was killed by a group of people who were racist in Eltham, south-east London. He was 18 years old and was trying to catch a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks at the time. Gary Dobson and David Norris are the only two people who have been held accountable for his murder.

Neville Lawrence, the father of Stephen, has mentioned that he spends a lot of his time in Jamaica because he does not "feel comfortable living in the UK after what happened to Stephen".

The family chose to lay Stephen's body to rest in Jamaica to avoid any potential harm to his grave. Neville Lawrence expressed his desire to be close to where Stephen was laid to rest.

The spot where Lawrence passed away in Eltham is indicated by a black granite plaque embedded in the pavement. The plaque has been damaged many times over the years, with incidents involving paint and flammable substances.