Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an independent review into the December 2025 murder of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old University of Southampton student who was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton. Digwa was jailed for life in June with a minimum term of 21 years after falsely claiming he had been racially abused and acted in self-defence.
The review, led by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC, was welcomed by Nowak's family. Mahmood told Parliament the investigation must "get to truth of what happened before, during and after that awful night and we must do everything in our power to ensure that no family suffers the same fate."
Police bodycam footage showed Nowak handcuffed and left on the ground after he was stabbed, repeatedly telling officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe. The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched its own investigation into the police response, despite a sentencing judge ruling Nowak would not have survived regardless of treatment speed.
The review has two phases. Phase one will examine what was known about Nowak's killer across police, health services, local authorities, educational institutions and faith organisations. It will investigate whether concerns about weapon possession or violent behaviour were raised and whether missed opportunities existed to prevent the murder. Phase two will follow the IOPC investigation's conclusion and will examine police actions "if necessary" and evaluate the IOPC's response.
The review will also assess treatment of Nowak's family by the justice system and whether they received adequate support.
Nowak's family said the announcement marked "a significant moment in our fight for justice," adding that their "experience of the criminal justice system has been deeply disappointing, and we are determined that no other family should have to endure what we have." Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said "there must be proper accountability for those who failed Henry and his family."
The review is due to report within five months. The violence that followed release of the bodycam footage led to wider debates around knife laws, race, policing and public trust.