Police condemn calls for ‘vigilante justice’ over murder of Henry Nowak | Knife crime
Police officers have condemned calls for “vigilante justice” against colleagues over their handling of the murder of Henry Nowak, who was falsely accused of racism by a Sikh man who fatally stabbed him with a ceremonial dagger.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years on Monday for the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Hampshire police released body-worn camera footage showing Nowak being handcuffed despite telling officers he had been stabbed multiple times. At one point a police officer told him: “I don’t think you know, man.”
Digwa, who falsely claimed to have been racially abused and assaulted by Nowak, was seen lying to the police about dropping the young man’s headscarf, causing an eye injury.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for “pure cold anger” over the disturbing case, which sparked widespread criticism, including on social media.
Now the Hampshire Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers across the force, said in a statement: “The Police Federation condemns in the strongest possible terms the calls for mob or vigilante justice we have seen against officers in recent days.
“This includes the false identification of police officers as being involved and the widespread publication of personal information such as home address.
“We call on politicians and media commentators from all parties to be more responsible in their comments and allow due process to be initiated for the officers involved.”
Meanwhile, the attorney general’s office is considering whether to review Digwa’s sentence after the killer’s family apologized to the victim’s relatives and the Sikh community.
The attorney general’s office said it had received “multiple requests” for a review under the overly lenient sentencing scheme.
A spokesman for the office said: “Law officers have 28 days from sentencing to carefully consider the case and make a decision.”
Digwa used what the judge described as a “large Sikh dagger” to stab Nowak to death in December 2025.
In a statement released through the Sikh Press Association on Tuesday, members of Digwa’s family expressed sadness at the suffering of the Nowak family. They said: “We love Vickrum. We will continue to love him. That love cannot outweigh the pain we feel for the Nowak family.”
“We apologize to the Sikh community for our son’s actions which have unfairly brought the community into disrepute. We ask that this tragedy not be used by anyone to fuel division or hostility towards any community.”
Hampshire police and the crime commissioner are leading calls for a review of religious exemptions for carrying knives after murder.
Donna Jones described the university student’s stabbing as a “national tragedy” and said she had written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the issue.
Jones said: “As Henry lay dying on the ground, he was falsely accused of racist attack, while his attacker denied the act of violence he had inflicted on him.
“It is devastating that officers did not believe Henry when he said he had been stabbed and could not breathe. His death is a national tragedy. At the heart of this incident is Vickrum Digwa’s ability to carry a knife in public because followers of the Sikh faith are exempt from carrying ceremonial daggers.
“I plan to write to the prime minister to request a national review of laws regarding the transport of sharps under religious exemptions.”
Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said the footage was distressing, telling the BBC: “Police behavior at the scene is shocking.”
But he did not recommend that the UK government review the exemption allowing Sikhs to carry knives.
He said: “There is an exception for carrying bladed items in public for certain religious and ceremonial reasons.
“And of course as we’ve tightened the law, we’ve banned things like scary zombie knives, we’ve tightened the law in terms of online purchasing of knives, I don’t think it’s about looking at that particular exception more broadly.
In his speech, which he declared as an emergency call to the nation, Farage said people should respond with “pure cold anger”.
He said: “The charge of racial slurs was taken more seriously than the act of murder.”
Hampshire police have apologized for their actions, which attracted global attention after being criticized by X owner Elon Musk. Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct is continuing to investigate.
Speaking outside court, Nowak’s father, Mark, criticized how police treated his son, whom he described as friendly and inclusive.
He said: “Henry did not die with dignity. He did not die with the care he deserved. We hold Vickrum Digwa alone and 100% responsible for the brutal murder of our son. But Henry should not have died in police custody on the streets of Southampton. His treatment was inhumane and degrading.”
Nowak added: “We call on the government to treat knife crime as a national emergency.”
The prosecution told the jury at Southampton crown court that while Digwa wore a small kirpan (a ceremonial sword or dagger worn by Sikhs) under his clothing in observance of his religious obligations, he also chose to carry a much larger knife.
Judge Mousley KC described the weapon Digwa was carrying as a “large Sikh dagger”. He said Sikh worshipers were allowed to be in public in sharp writing, but with privilege comes great responsibility.
Following last week’s decision, the UK Sikh Federation said in a statement: “Sikhs who wear the kirpan and practice it fully should continue to be aware of the limited legal protection for wearing it for genuine religious purposes, as well as the serious responsibility that accompanies this.”
The Federation said it believed the great sword Digwa wielded was “not the normal Kirpan worn by fully practicing Sikhs.”
“This is what we want to make clear; in fact, the perpetrator used an item that can only be called an offensive weapon,” the statement said.
Body-worn images were shown during the hearing. Hampshire police said they had spoken to Nowak’s family about his release.
