The family of 18-year-old Henry Nowak says police repeatedly misled them after officers handcuffed the fatally stabbed student, dismissed his pleas for help and initially portrayed him as the aggressor, prompting a formal apology and independent investigations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The family of a British teenager who was handcuffed by police while dying from multiple stab wounds has accused Hampshire authorities of misleading them about the circumstances of his death, prompting the county’s chief constable to acknowledge that officers failed the 18-year-old when he most urgently needed assistance.
Henry Nowak was murdered in Southampton on Dec. 3, 2025, by Vickrum Digwa, a 23-year-old Sikh man who stabbed him five times with a ceremonial knife before falsely accusing the teenager of racially abusing him. Responding officers initially treated Nowak as a suspect, handcuffing him despite his repeated statements that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
In a new ITV documentary, Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice, Nowak’s family describes how police provided changing accounts of their response, initially suggesting that officers had immediately administered first aid and failing to disclose the circumstances revealed by police body-camera footage.
The allegations, also detailed in a Nov. 2 report by The Telegraph, have intensified scrutiny of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which initially found no grounds to investigate officers before subsequently opening misconduct proceedings.
Speaking to ITV News, Henry’s stepmother, Katie Nowak, said the family had lost confidence in the authorities responsible for investigating his death.
“I do feel that we have been failed multiple times,” she said.
“I fear that we may have been manipulated in our darkest hours.
“And I fear that some decisions were made to try and protect the police and their reputation rather than help us as a family.”
The family said their concerns began almost immediately after learning of Henry’s murder. Police initially suggested that the teenager had been responsible for an attack involving two other people, an account later contradicted by evidence establishing Digwa as the killer.
Hours after receiving news of Henry’s death, relatives discovered a Southampton police Facebook post suggesting that two individuals had been attacked by an unidentified man.
Katie Nowak said the description appeared to identify Henry as the aggressor despite his having been fatally stabbed.
The following day, Henry’s father, Mark Nowak, was driving home after identifying his son’s body when police contacted him seeking approval for a public statement naming the teenager.
Mark said the proposed statement again characterized Henry as the aggressor, deepening the family’s concern that investigators had accepted Digwa’s false account.
According to the family, officers also questioned them about Henry’s political views and their own beliefs shortly after notifying them of his death.
His mother, Lucy Ross, said the questions seemed inappropriate under the circumstances.
“I did think at the time, it’s a really strange question. You’ve just been told your son’s been murdered and then they asked that.”
The family believes police initially accepted Digwa’s allegations of racial abuse, which diverted attention from the seriously injured teenager.
The circumstances surrounding the officers’ response became clearer during Digwa’s murder trial, when police body-camera footage showed Henry restrained on the ground while repeatedly asking for medical assistance.
The teenager told officers that he had been stabbed, but one officer dismissed the warning.
“I don’t think you have, mate,” the officer replied.
Police did not identify the fatal stab wound to Henry’s chest until they began cardiopulmonary resuscitation approximately eight minutes after arriving.
A transcript of the footage showed Henry’s final recorded words were, “Please, brother. I can’t breathe”.
The footage was not shown to Mark and Katie Nowak until the first day of Digwa’s trial. Henry’s mother and sister, Olivia, learned what it contained from Mark but have not watched it themselves.
Mark said the family’s understanding of what happened changed repeatedly as police disclosed additional details.
Initially, relatives were told officers had immediately provided first aid. Later accounts acknowledged that Henry had been detained, handcuffed and arrested before officers recognized the seriousness of his injuries.
“That evolution of what actually happened that night really shocked us, and we felt we were being hoodwinked. We felt we were being not told the truth,” Mark said.
Lucy said her son’s repeated warnings should have made clear that he required urgent medical treatment.
“Henry told the police nine times that he can’t breathe, he can’t breathe and he’s been stabbed. What more do you want?” she said.
She has refused to watch the footage, describing the prospect of hearing her son’s final pleas as unbearable.
The court heard that Henry’s wounds were so severe that he would not have survived even if officers had begun first aid sooner. Nevertheless, the medical evidence has not resolved questions about why officers initially dismissed his statements or restrained him instead of providing immediate assistance.
Digwa was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced in June 2026 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years.
His mother, Kiran Kaur, received a three-year prison sentence for assisting an offender after removing the murder weapon.
The weapon was an eight-inch ceremonial knife associated with Sikh religious practice. The case has prompted discussions about Britain’s laws permitting possession of certain religious blades and whether existing safeguards adequately address their potential misuse.
The family’s criticism extends beyond the officers who attended the murder scene to the independent police watchdog.
After the killing, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, known as the IOPC.
In an April 10 letter, the watchdog informed the family that no officers would face conduct or criminal investigations because investigators had identified no concerns about their actions.
That position changed after the body-camera footage became public during Digwa’s trial.
In July, the IOPC confirmed that two officers were under investigation for potential gross misconduct concerning their response to Henry’s injuries.
The watchdog’s investigation remains ongoing, with findings expected early next year. The officers’ conduct has not yet been the subject of a final disciplinary determination.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Chief Constable Alexis Boon has now acknowledged that the force failed the teenager and apologized to his relatives.
“Henry’s murder was a devastating tragedy, and our thoughts remain with his family and all those who loved him,” Boon said.
“I am incredibly sorry that in his final moments, when he needed us most, we failed him.”
Boon also recognized that the family’s concerns involved not only the original police response but their treatment throughout the subsequent investigation.
He said the constabulary would cooperate with independent inquiries and a coroner’s investigation while implementing changes without waiting for their conclusions.
“Henry deserved better. His family deserved better. I am determined that we learn every lesson from this tragedy and ensure families who place their trust in us are treated with honesty, compassion and professionalism,” Boon said.
The IOPC has also defended its ongoing investigation, saying it is examining whether officers should face disciplinary proceedings and seeking answers about their treatment of Henry.
IOPC Director of Engagement Derrick Campbell said investigators have remained in contact with the family and are reviewing their concerns.
Separately, the Crown Prosecution Service explained that restrictions on disclosing sensitive evidence before trial were intended to protect the integrity of criminal proceedings and prevent potential prejudice.
The CPS said it had discussed those restrictions with the family before the footage was presented in court.
The controversy has also prompted intervention by the British government.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an independent review of the murder and the response by police and other criminal justice agencies.
The Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office confirmed Oct. 27 that former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC would lead the examination.
The review will proceed in two stages. The first will investigate whether authorities missed opportunities to prevent the killing, including information held about Digwa during the five years preceding the attack.
It will also examine how the family was treated by police, prosecutors, courts and other criminal justice agencies.
The second stage will consider the IOPC’s handling of the case and potentially the conduct of police after the watchdog completes its investigation.
Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones welcomed the review, saying the circumstances of Henry’s death warranted further scrutiny and that his family deserved answers.
The Home Office also confirmed that officials were discussing laws governing knives carried for religious purposes with Sikh representatives and police.
The discussions concern the legal exemption permitting possession of certain ceremonial blades, although the government has not announced a specific legislative change arising from the case.
The family’s allegations will receive further public attention when ITV broadcasts Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The documentary features Henry’s father, mother, stepmother and sister discussing their experiences with police, the subsequent investigation and their efforts to obtain accountability.
Mark and Katie said the body-camera footage fundamentally changed their understanding of their son’s final moments, leaving them concerned that the full circumstances might never have become public had Digwa pleaded guilty before trial.
The ongoing investigations will examine whether officers breached professional standards, whether authorities mishandled communications with the family and whether earlier interventions could have prevented the killing.
For the Nowak family, those questions remain unresolved despite Digwa’s conviction, the police chief’s apology and the announcement of an independent government review.
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