Home Secretary orders independent review into Henry Nowak murder police handling

The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has announced an independent review into the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, the university student who was stabbed to death as he walked home in Southampton last December. In a statement to the Commons, she said the review would examine what happened before, during and after the attack and would try to provide the answers his family have sought.

The review will be led by the former Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC. Its terms of reference were published on the day of the announcement. It will investigate what was known about the perpetrator, Vikram Digwa, including any missed opportunities to intervene. It will also look at the Nowak family's experience of the criminal justice system and whether they were supported properly. Once the Independent Office for Police Conduct has finished its investigation into the police response, the review will also consider the actions of the IOPC and, if necessary, the police. An initial report is due within five months, with the review reporting in two phases and the first phase due in March.

Digwa is serving life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder. The case prompted widespread anger after body-worn camera footage showed Henry being handcuffed and arrested as he lay dying. Henry told officers repeatedly that he had been stabbed and could not breathe. Digwa had falsely claimed that Henry had racially abused him and pulled his turban, and that he had acted in self-defence. The prosecution described that account as a wicked lie.

The killing led to protests and clashes near the murder scene in Southampton. Missiles were thrown at police, officers were injured and there were close to 40 arrests. The case also led to accusations of two-tier policing and claims that police were quicker to believe a racist attack had taken place than that a white man had been stabbed. Hampshire police denied two-tier policing.

The review will look at Digwa's life in the five years before the killing. That includes his contact with the police, health services, the education system and faith organisations. During the trial there was evidence that he had an obsession with weapons and that warnings had been raised about his behaviour at a Sikh Gurdwara. Questions were also raised about the two ceremonial knives he was carrying and their status in Sikh culture and British law.

Henry's family welcomed the announcement. In a statement they said it was 'at last, some positive news' and 'a significant moment in our fight for justice'. They said they had fought tirelessly for answers to questions no family should ever have to ask, and that the emotional toll on top of their grief had been immense. They called the review an important step forward but said there was still a long road ahead. Hampshire police said they welcomed the review and thought it right to look into the family's concerns.

Other processes are continuing alongside the review. The IOPC is already investigating the police response, including two officers over potential gross misconduct. An inquest into Henry's death is due next year, and Digwa has an appeal at the Court of Appeal over his sentence in the coming weeks. The family have given their first interviews for a documentary to be broadcast next week.

The Home Secretary said: 'We must get to the truth of what happened before, during and after that awful night.' She added that the review was owed to Henry and to all who loved him, and that they deserved answers.