Politics1 min read

Henry Nowak ‘would have hated’ riots after his murder, says family

By · Via The Guardian Politics · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The family of Henry Nowak condemned the unrest that followed his fatal stabbing by Vickrum Digwa, accusing opportunistic leaders of exploiting his death for their own agendas. Nowak had been handcuffed by responding officers as he lay dying due to a false allegation of racial abuse made by his killer. Although the police watchdog initially cleared the officers involved, it later reversed course to place two officers under investigation for gross misconduct. A separate independent review led by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk has also been launched to evaluate institutional failings.

Key points

  • The victim's parents firmly reject the politicization of their son's murder by partisan g…: The victim's parents firmly reject the politicization of their son's murder by partisan groups and public figures.
  • Scrutiny continues over law enforcement actions following initial decisions not to pursue…: Scrutiny continues over law enforcement actions following initial decisions not to pursue criminal or conduct charges.
  • An independent review commissioned by the Home Secretary is actively evaluating whether a…: An independent review commissioned by the Home Secretary is actively evaluating whether authorities missed crucial chances to intervene.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Henry Nowak’s family said he “would have hated” the riots that followed his death as they accused some politicians of playing a “game” with their son’s murder.

Nowak, who was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa last year, was handcuffed by police as he lay dying when his attacker falsely accused him of racial abuse.

The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, subsequently delivered an emergency address calling for the public to respond with “pure cold rage” and demanding an end to what he described as “two-tier policing”.

Protesters – including the leaders of Ukip and Britain First, the Portsmouth branch of the National Rebirth party and others called to attend on social media – demonstrated in Southampton in the weeks after Nowak’s death.

Speaking in an interview for an ITV Tonight documentary, Dear Henry: Our Fight for Justice, the family said they had “worked hard” to keep politics out of Nowak’s story.

Nowak’s mother, Lucy Ross, said she thought some people had tried to use her son’s death to advance wider political arguments.

“I suppose that’s the game they play, and…

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