Henry Nowak case reignites claims of unfair policing

Sir Keir Starmer described the bodycam footage revealing the final moments of 18-year-old Henry Nowak as “harrowing.” The video, which the Prime Minister reportedly watched several times, showed a disturbing sequence of events during which Nowak’s pleas for help were initially ignored by police, despite his injuries. The Prime Minister claimed he “felt sick” while watching the footage, reflecting the widespread shock and outrage that has followed the teenager’s death.

The incident has sparked heated political debate, with members of the Conservative Party and Reform UK voicing concerns about what they describe as “two-tier policing.” These critics argue that people are treated differently based on the colour of their skin, a characterization firmly rejected by Downing Street. The footage shows the murderer, Vickrum Digwa, misleading officers by falsely accusing Nowak of racial abuse. Despite Nowak being handcuffed and under arrest, he was not immediately assisted even though he told the police he had been stabbed and was struggling to breathe.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the police response as “absolutely appalling.” She acknowledged that Nowak’s injuries might have been too severe for the police to save his life but criticized what she perceives as a decline in police competence, blaming “the training that police have been given,” which she relates to changes following the Black Lives Matter movement. Badenoch stated, “I do not want police looking at the colour of your skin when they’re deciding how to treat you… I think they are, because that’s what they’re being taught.” Meanwhile, Nigel Farage of Reform UK criticized the situation on social media, claiming it revealed a “two-tier Britain” where white lives matter less than those of ethnic minorities. Badenoch, however, distanced herself from Farage’s rhetoric, emphasizing that she sought change without the “rage” that he promotes. Sir Keir also condemned Farage’s comments, saying his divisive approach was “completely wrong” and noted that the Nowak family “don’t want this whipped up.”

With tensions escalating, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood addressed the Commons, expressing her own heartbreak over the footage and acknowledging the public’s concern about how the situation was handled. She emphasized that the Independent Office for Police Complaints (IOPC) should investigate the case thoroughly, determining the facts and whether any police misconduct occurred. Mahmood also urged against politicizing the tragedy, rejecting accusations that any community has been given preferential treatment by the police. She warned about a “dangerous undercurrent” in the public discourse and highlighted that threats have been made against police officers unrelated to the incident. The Home Secretary cautioned that “misinformation and inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful situation even worse,” amid a careful call for responsible dialogue.

In addition to the police investigation, the Attorney General’s office has been prompted to examine the sentence handed to Vikrum Digwa, who received a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years. The Attorney General has 28 days under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to decide whether to request the Court of Appeal to review the sentence. This court can increase the term only if it finds a significant error in the original trial judge’s decision and believes that public confidence would be damaged if the sentence is not amended

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