What Did Henry Nowak's Family Say About the Police Video?

The family of Henry Nowak, the 18-year-old Southampton student murdered in December 2025, told ITV that viewing body-worn camera footage of officers handcuffing him as he lay dying compounded their grief, according to BBC News.

What happened to Henry Nowak?

Henry Nowak, a first-year accountancy and finance student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed five times while walking home from a night out with football teammates on December 3, 2025, the BBC reported. His killer, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, falsely told police that Nowak had racially abused him before the attack. Digwa was later jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years, per the outlet.

What did the body-worn camera footage show?

According to the BBC's account of the ITV documentary Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice, the footage captured officers handcuffing Nowak as he repeatedly told them, "I've been stabbed." An officer is heard replying, "Don't think you have, mate." The family said watching that exchange after already learning of his death amounted to a second trauma. Katie Nowak, his stepmother, described the night police arrived at the family home: "One of the police officers was holding his hat in his hand, and I just knew straight away that something horrific had happened."

"It's just unbelievable pain." — Mark Nowak, Henry's father, to ITV

Lucy Ross, Henry's mother, said police told her at 1 a.m. that there had been "an altercation" and that her son had died. "No words, no words can explain that feeling," she said. His sister, Olivia, recalled the moment she told their father by phone: "I just remember this scream. It was awful. He screamed 'My boy, my boy.'"

What is being investigated now?

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating two officers for potential gross misconduct tied to their handling of the scene, the BBC reported. The outlet noted it took officers roughly 24 hours to identify Nowak's body and notify his family after the stabbing.

What has the government announced in response?

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an independent review into the murder, to be led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, examining "any missed opportunities to intervene," according to the BBC. The review's scope and timeline were not detailed in available reporting.

What happens next?

• The IOPC's gross-misconduct investigation into the two officers remains ongoing, with no outcome reported yet.
• Alex Chalk's independent review into missed intervention opportunities has been announced but has not yet produced findings, per the BBC.
• Dear Henry: Our Fight for Justice airs as an ITV Tonight special on Thursday, November 5, at 21:00 on ITV, ITVX, and the ITV News YouTube channel.
• Henry's family continues to grieve privately; his mother told ITV she can no longer enter his bedroom, now kept closed off with coats hung over the door, while his sister keeps some of his T-shirts for comfort.

No additional casualty figures, settlement amounts, or disciplinary timelines beyond those cited above were available in the sourced reporting.