Dr Neville Lawrence, father of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, has said he sees parallels between his son's death and the case of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student who was handcuffed by police as he lay dying from stab wounds in Southampton. Dr Lawrence told the Mirror: 'My thoughts are with Henry Nowak's family. When my son was killed officers who attended also made incorrect assumptions and it is very tragic to see history repeating itself. Stephen wasn't seen as a victim, just as Henry wasn't in this case.'
Henry Nowak was stabbed six times by Vickrum Digwa, 23, who was jailed for life on Monday with a minimum term of 21 years. Bodyworn camera footage shows Henry telling officers four times 'I've been stabbed,' to which one replied: 'Don't think you have, mate.' He was dragged along the ground and handcuffed despite pleading that he could not breathe. One officer involved has since resigned.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has promised the Nowak family they will get answers, calling for calm and condemning the 'evil act.' She told MPs: 'We cannot allow this murder to turn communities against one another.' However, protests near the murder scene turned violent, with missiles thrown at police, who were forced to retreat.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he 'felt sick' watching the footage and that there are 'serious questions' about how accusations of racism may have influenced police decision-making. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating and is expected to report within three months.
Dr Lawrence's son Stephen was stabbed to death in a racist attack in 1993. The initial police investigation was marred by failures, leading to a public inquiry that found the force was 'institutionally racist.'
