Police leaders have said they will review anti-racism guidance following the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak. Vickrum Digwa, his killer, was sentenced this week to life in prison.
Nowak was stabbed five times and tried to escape his attacker by climbing over a fence. Body-worn camera footage shows him handcuffed by police at the scene, repeatedly telling officers: “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe”. In the footage, an officer can be heard saying “You’ve been stabbed, whereabouts? … Don’t think you have, mate.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the officers’ actions. Hampshire Police have said that one of the four responding officers resigned last year, but not as a result of this incident, and that the three others are still serving in the force.
Digwa, a British Sikh man, lied to police at the scene, claiming that Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban. The police response has led to accusations of “two-tier policing”, and community tensions. Eleven officers were injured in protests in Southampton the night of June 2.
It has also drawn attention to a document that outlines the police commitment to anti-racism. It says that a commitment to racial equity “does not mean treating everyone ‘the same’ or being ‘colour blind’ (racial equality)”.
Police Minister Sarah Jones said the current guidance gives the “wrong impression”, and that the wording needs to be changed to be clearer. The prime minister’s spokesperson said that “we don’t think the language is right”, and backed a review.
The guidance was introduced in 2025 in response to the 2022 policing race action plan published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing to enhance trust in police, particularly among black communities.
Continues…
For the full article by Professor John Coxhead visit the Conversation.
ENDS