Wednesday, 4 January 2012, 22:44

Subject: Statement by the IRR on the conviction of Gary Dobson and David Norris
Statement by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) on the conviction of Gary Dobson and David Norris.

In the light of the tenacious struggle waged by the Lawrence family to indict those responsible for the racist killing of Stephen, we are delighted that they have been vindicated.
But it is alarming that despite the publicity surrounding this case, the subsequent Macpherson Inquiry, the changes to race law and police procedures our research reveals that since 1993 when Stephen was killed, 96 people have lost their lives in the UK in apparent racial attacks – a rate of over five each year.
Said IRR spokesperson, Harmit Athwal: ‘Racial violence is not in any way decreasing – just the circumstances surrounding attacks and the profile of its victims change with the times. Witness the concern in the community over the fact that just one week ago Anuj Bidve, a 23-year-old Indian student was shot in the head in a random and “motiveless” attack by a white youth in Salford.’
According to statistics prepared by the IRR, twenty-five of those killed in racial incidents since Stephen Lawrence have been either students or young people under the age of 25 – often walking the streets at night in areas with which they were not familiar.
Notes to editors:
1) Read the IRR’s June 2010 report: Racial Violence the buried issue which can be downloaded at: http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf2/IRR_Briefing_No.6.pdf <http://www.irr.org.uk/pdf2/IRR_Briefing_No.6.pdf>
2) Read the IRR’s list of ‘Deaths with a (known or suspected) racial element 2000 onwards’ at http://www.irr.org.uk/2002/november/ak000008.html <http://www.irr.org.uk/2002/november/ak000008.html>
3) For further information please call Harmit Athwal on 07972 850 143 or 020 7837 0041.
Institute of Race Relations
2-6 Leeke Street
London
WC1X 9HS