Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has launched a review into whether opportunities were missed to prevent the murder of student Henry Nowak. The move follows claims that there were several warning signs that his killer, Vickrum Digwa, had a history of threatening behaviour and an obsession with weapons.
Nowak, 18, died in December after being stabbed as he walked home from a night out in Southampton. Police officers handcuffed him while he was bleeding to death, after Digwa falsely accused him of racial abuse. Body-worn camera footage that prompted a public outcry captured Nowak repeatedly saying: "I've been stabbed." An officer replied: "Don't think you have, mate."
His death led to widespread protests, allegations of "two-tier policing" and a spike in racist attacks against the UK's Sikh community. Digwa, a Sikh, was carrying two knives on the night of the killing, one of which was a kirpan. Carrying that blade is permitted in the UK for religious purposes.
Digwa, 23, has since been accused by young local Sikhs of threatening behaviour at a Southampton gurdwara in the months before the attack. The Sun also reported that he was seen brandishing an airgun in his back garden in October 2022. A neighbour who recorded him firing shots said she reported it to police, but Hampshire constabulary could not find a record of the incident.
Speaking in the Commons, Mahmood said the review would be led by Alex Chalk KC, a former Conservative lord chancellor, and would deliver initial findings within five months. "Last December, Henry Nowak's life was cut short in a horrific and senseless act of violence," she said, adding that her thoughts were with his family and friends, who had shown "extraordinary courage and dignity".
She said the review would investigate what was known about the perpetrator, including any missed opportunities to intervene. It will also examine the Nowak family's experience of the criminal justice system and whether they received the support they should have. Once the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concludes its investigation into the police response, the review will consider the actions of the IOPC and, if necessary, the police.
Two officers who were first on the scene are being investigated by the IOPC for potential gross misconduct. The inquiry is looking at why they did not recognise that Nowak needed urgent medical attention, and at the decision to arrest him rather than give first aid.
Nowak's family welcomed the review as a "significant moment" in their fight for justice. They said they had "fought tirelessly for answers to questions no family should ever have to ask", and that the emotional toll had been immense on top of their grief. They hope the review, alongside the ongoing investigations and inquest, will uncover the full truth and bring accountability and meaningful change. Their experience of the criminal justice system, they said, had been "deeply disappointing".
Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years. He has been given permission to challenge the length of that sentence at the court of appeal on 5 November. His mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender after she removed the knife used in the killing. Police found it at the family home, along with more than 20 other weapons.
