Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned of a 'dangerous undercurrent' of misinformation following the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, urging calm and cautioning against communities turning on each other. Speaking in the House of Commons, she described the killing as an 'evil act' and pledged that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) would have all necessary resources to investigate the police response.
Henry Nowak was stabbed to death by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa in Southampton last December, after Digwa falsely claimed he had been the victim of a racial assault. Bodycam footage showed Henry handcuffed and telling officers he had been stabbed, with one officer responding: 'I don't think you have mate.' Digwa was jailed for a minimum of 21 years on Monday after being found guilty of murder.
Ms Mahmood pushed back against claims of 'two-tier policing' made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who suggested that the rights of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities. She stated: 'The police in this country have a sacred duty to police without fear or favour. Everyone in this country is equal before the law.' She also condemned death threats made against a police officer who was wrongly identified online as being involved in the case.
Henry's father, Mark Nowak, described his son's treatment by police as 'inhumane and degrading' but urged that his death not be used to create further division. He called on the government to treat knife crime as a national emergency. Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to Henry in a cabinet meeting, noting that Digwa had 'shamelessly lied' to police.
Ms Mahmood concluded: 'We cannot allow this murder to turn communities against one another. We must condemn those who seek personal, political profit from tragedy.' She emphasised that the punishment should be reserved for those responsible for the crime, adding: 'We do not believe in collective punishment in this country.'
