Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has warned against “misinformation and inflammatory commentary” following the murder of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student stabbed to death in Southampton with a ceremonial knife. Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for the killing, which has sparked protests and far-right agitation.
In a Commons statement, Ms Mahmood revealed that a police officer wrongly identified as having arrested Nowak has received death threats and been forced into hiding. She condemned “disgraceful” violence after riot police were pelted with bottles and bricks during a protest near the killer’s home.
The case has reignited debate over the exemption for religious knives, such as the Sikh kirpan, from general knife crime laws. Digwa used a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade, prompting calls for a review of the exemption. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating police handling of the incident.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage likened Nowak’s treatment to the killing of George Floyd and called for recognition that “white lives matter”. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described footage of Nowak handcuffed while pleading he could not breathe as “harrowing”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of “whipping people up” and urged an end to the “racialising of our society”. Digwa’s family apologised for bringing the Sikh community into “disrepute” but said the tragedy should not be used to inflame division.
