Two years ago on Jan'uary 28 1997 Michael Tachie Menson, thirty year old black man, was brutally murdered by racists. He was set on fire by four white youths in Edmonton, north London. Passers-by contacted the emergency services who took him to hospital. Michael suffered 30% third degree burns on his back. He remained conscious for almost one week - and then suffered a massive heart attack from which he never recovered. Michael died on February 13 1997.
On the night of the assault police were contacted immediately. But during the first week while Michael was still conscious in hospital, they failed, despite constant reminders from the family, to take a statement from him. It has taken sustained campaigning over these long months by his family and friends to force the police to begin admit even some of the truth about the circumstances of his murder.
Only in recent weeks have the police acknowledged for the first time what supporters have argued from The beginning; that Michael's death was a racist murder. Instead, despite massive forensic evidence to the contrary, police at first argued that Michael sel himself alight. This is despite the fact that four expert witnesses, including two fire experts and an eminent pathologist, have confirmed that their view Michael was attacked.
As Mike's sister Essie explained the behaviour of the police added to the already intense grief of the family : "the hardest thing to bear was the overwhelming feeling that it didn't matter".
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Grieve, who heads the Racial and Violent Crimes Task force set up in the wake of the Lawrence Inquiry told The Guardian: "There is clearly a racial motivation. Three or four people were involved in the attack on Michael Menson. It is a 'boast' crime, and we know people have been talking about it. We know a number of witnesses have been trying to get in touch with us".
Police have also discovered in recent weeks that an accelerant was used to ensure that the burns to Mike were more damaging.
It has taken all this time for the police to own up to basic facts which were known in the days after the attack. Campaigners are well aware that Grieve's new unit is desperate to put the Lawrence inquiry behind them, and for that reason may now try to solve the Menson case. Only continued scrutiny will prevent further blunders which will deny yet Murder ignored: Michael Menson another family access to the truth. The anniversary of Michael's death was marked by an impressive public meeting in Tottenham organised by the Menson family campaign, addressed by members of the family, Sukhdev Reel (mother of Ricky Reel), a representative from the Stephen Lawrence Campaign and Michael Mansfield QC The meeting listened attentively to contributions from Essie and Kwesi Menson, Michael's sister and brother who both gave those present a flavour of who Mike was and urged us fight for justice in his memory. Kwesi explained that when Mike was in the hospiPolice tal he asked his failed to seal off brother have they done the scene of the me?".
this to incident, losing vital While many forensic evidence and of us have answers as to witnesses, and then why racism is took weeks to launch endemic in an 'investigation". our society, they all seem inadequate when faced with its brutal and murderous consequences. But as the point is not just to understand the world but to change it, a more meaningful answer can be given to Mike's question by organising to ensure that the litany of racist murders and police indifference cannot continue. As Essie Menson told us "Black people will not be victims and will not give up." Scotland Yard has been forced to admit in a letter to the family solicitors, that senior officers made fundamental errors in their investigation. Not only did they assume when they first found Michael that he was suffering from mental illness and had set fire to himself, but that his injures were not life threatening. They failed to seal off the scene of the incident, losing vital forensic evidence and witnesses, and then took a number of weeks to launch an 'investigation". Scotland Yard admits that formal disciplinary action should be taken against a number of police officers. But the Yard says it is powerless to do so, because most have, or are in the process, of "retiring". Yet again we see the echoes of the Stephen Lawrence story and so many other stories.
On Wednesday 16 September 1998, an inquest jury ruled that Michael was unlawfully killed. However, due to police inaction, the exact details of the assault will probably never be known.
The appalling nature of police investigation in the Menson case is now being compared to that of the Stephen Lawrence case. In order to find the truth about Michael's death, his family and friends and The Monitoring Group have set up The Michael Menson Family Campaign.
The Campaign wants Home Secretary Jack Straw to intervene in this case by installing a fresh team of police detectives to investigate Michael's murder. The campaign needs funds, including for payment of legal costs and publicity. The campaign is looking for new activists, especially in these next few weeks. Volunteers who have been talking to people in the Silver Street area where Mike was killed have uncovered disturbing facts in just a few days work. Suresh Grover of The MonitorTottenham: anger boils over death of Roger Sylvester (see below) ing Group told the public meeting that they had discovered four other racist murders in the area in recent years and a number of black families who were afraid to go out of their homes for fear of attack. One of the lessons of the Lawrence campaign is that the search for witnesses is too important to be left to the police. • For further information and to send donations contact: The Michael Menson Family Campaign, c/o SMG Unity, PO Box 304, Southall, Middlesex, UB2 5YR Telephone: 0181 843 2333, Fax: 0181 813 9734