Family of slain student Henry Nowak recalls ‘world changed twice’
The family of Henry Nowak has described the profound grief they’ve experienced following the teenager’s murder, compounded by the release of police body camera footage showing him being handcuffed while dying. Mr. Nowak, 18, was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton in December.
Mark Nowak, Katie Nowak, Lucy Nowak, and Olivia Nowak shared their memories in an exclusive interview for the ITV Tonight documentary, Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice. They recounted the moment police officers arrived at their home, triggering a devastating sequence of events. Mr. Nowak’s father collapsed, letting out a cry that his stepmother, Katie, says he will never forget.
“I jumped out of bed and I saw the police car on our driveway,” Katie told ITV. “One of the police officers was holding his hat in his hand, and I just knew straight away that something horrific had happened.”
The family’s pain was further intensified when they witnessed footage of officers handcuffing Mr. Nowak while he repeatedly stated, “I’ve been stabbed,” to which one officer responded, “Don’t think you have, mate.”
“In the last year, our world has changed twice,” Katie said. “The first time was the night that we were told that Henry had died. And the second time was when we watched that video.”
Mr. Nowak’s mother, Lucy, recalled the police knocking on their door in the early hours, prompting her daughter, Olivia, to shout, “Mum, there’s police at the door.” She was informed that her son had died following an altercation.
Vickrum Digwa, 23, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years on June 1 of this year for the murder. Kiran Kaur, Digwa’s mother, received a three-year sentence for assisting an offender by removing the murder weapon.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently announced an independent review into the case, to be led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk. The review will examine potential failures in intervening and assess how authorities treated the Nowak family. Mr. Chalk stated the review will “follow the evidence without fear or favour.”
Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice will air on Thursday, November 5, at 9 p.m. on ITV, ITVX, and the ITV News YouTube channel.
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“Henry Nowak’s family say ‘world changed twice’ after student’s murder”
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