A full inquest into the death of Henry Nowak is set to examine whether police officers on the scene played a role in contributing to or causing the teenager's death. The 18-year-old student was stabbed in the chest on December 3 last year while walking home in Southampton.
Incident Details
Officers arrived at the scene where the attacker, Vickrum Digwa, claimed he had been the victim of a racist attack. As a result, Henry was placed in handcuffs, and his pleas for help that he could not breathe were seemingly dismissed. Body-worn footage captured Henry telling officers, "I've been stabbed," to which one officer responded, "I don't think you have, mate."
Inquest Scope
Area coroner Jason Pegg stated that the medical cause of death was identified as "a stab wound to chest" in a post-mortem examination. He noted that because Henry was in police custody at the time of his death, Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to life, has been triggered, requiring a broader investigation.
Mr Pegg said: "The issue in this case is likely to be whether any act or omission by a police officer or any delay in the treatment Henry Nowak received caused or contributed to death. An inquest will allow such scrutiny, it will be a public hearing on the broad circumstances by which Henry came by his death."
Public Outcry
Violent protests erupted near the murder scene amid outrage over Henry's treatment. His killer, Vickrum Digwa, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 21 years for stabbing Henry with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade, described by prosecutors as a kirpan, which he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
Next Steps
The full inquest will open with a jury at Winchester Coroner's Court on September 20, 2027. The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, is expected to report on the case within the next three months. Mr Pegg acknowledged the date is far off but expressed hope the inquest could be brought forward.
The news follows comments from Sir Keir Starmer, who accused Elon Musk of trying to "whip up division" over Henry's murder. Starmer said: "In Britain, we are reasonable, tolerant people. When we have a terrible case like Henry's case, we react calmly as his family have done."
