Henry Nowak murder: two officers under gross misconduct investigation | Police
Two police officers in the Henry Nowak case were investigated for gross misconduct by a police monitor.
Nowak, 18, died after being stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December 2025. Digwa falsely told police he was the victim of a racist attack; This led officers to handcuff Nowak and treat him as a suspect, even though he said he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe.
The investigation will also expand to include whether race was a factor. The case triggered claims by the far right that Nowak’s treatment was motivated by anti-white bias.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct was considering the officers involved as witnesses, meaning they believed there was no possible wrongdoing. On Wednesday, the police watchdog said they changed that view after discussions with the Nowak family and their attorneys and a formal complaint from the family of the slain student.
The IOPC said it would look at “whether the race or religion of Henry or the Digwa family influenced the officers’ actions and decision-making, whether the officers’ decisions were influenced by assumptions or prejudices about community tensions at the time.”
In a statement, the IOPC said: “The evidence suggests that both officers who first arrived on the scene late in the evening of 3 December 2025 may have potentially breached standards of professional conduct regarding duties and responsibilities, use of force and discreditable conduct.
“These relate to potential failures by officers to recognize that Henry needed urgent medical attention, their failure to take immediate action after he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe, and the decision to arrest and handcuff Henry rather than provide him with immediate first aid.
“There are also indications that one of the officers may have breached standards of authority, respect and courtesy in appearing to dismiss Henry by saying he had been stabbed.”
Derrick Campbell, from the IOPC, said: “Our investigators met with Henry’s family earlier this month and, now that the criminal case has concluded, we were able to discuss our investigation in depth with them.
“We must continually review the evidence obtained throughout our investigations and evaluate possible signs of misconduct for the officers involved. As a result, the two officers will now face serious misconduct investigations.”
“There is clear evidence that public confidence in the police may have been seriously damaged by this incident and this is a factor we must take into account when assessing the evidence.
“The service of gross misconduct notices does not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will be initiated. At the conclusion of our investigation, we will decide whether any officers will face disciplinary proceedings.”
The IOPC will also look at issues such as why Nowak was handcuffed, whereas Digwa was not at the time he was arrested on attempted murder charges after police discovered Nowak had been stabbed.
Campbell added: “It is also an important part of our role to determine whether any changes to national or mandatory policies or procedures are required to improve police practice.”
Digwa was found guilty of Nowak’s murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. The sentence is being challenged by senior government legal officials on the grounds that it is unduly lenient.
