Henry Nowak family criticize riots and political game following murder

The family of Henry Nowak said he would have hated the riots that followed his death, accusing politicians of playing a political game with his murder, according to the Guardian. Rayo also reported that the family criticized the political exploitation of the killing. Nowak was fatally stabbed in Southampton last year by Vickrum Digwa. [1][5]

The Guardian reported that Nowak was handcuffed by police officers as he lay dying, after Digwa falsely accused him of racial abuse. Following the incident, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gave an address calling for the public to respond with pure cold rage and demanding an end to what he described as two-tier policing. [1]

Eighteen year old university student Henry Nowak was murdered in Southampton on 3 December 2025 by 23 year old Vickrum Singh Digwa. Nowak was walking home when Digwa stabbed him five times with an eight inch dagger that Digwa claimed he carried for Sikh religious reasons. Digwa was jailed for life on 1 June with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder. [6][8]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, bodycam footage showing officers handcuffing Nowak worsened the family's trauma. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an independent review into the murder, a decision that the family welcomed. [7][8]

The BBC reported that the family said police failed them multiple times, while the Telegraph reported that the family claimed they were manipulated by police. [2][4]