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Dying teen handcuffed by police: Family trauma exposed
1 Nov
Summary
- Family devastated watching footage of dying son in handcuffs.
- Police wrongly accused teen, ignored his pleas of being stabbed.
- Independent review launched into the murder and police response.
The family of Henry Nowak has revealed the immense pain of witnessing body-worn camera footage of him being handcuffed as he lay dying. This added a second layer of trauma to their grief, following the initial devastating news of his murder.
Henry, an 18-year-old student, was fatally stabbed five times on December 3, 2025, while walking home in Southampton. The perpetrator, Vickrum Digwa, had falsely accused Henry of racial abuse. In the released footage, Henry can be heard stating he had been stabbed, but officers initially disbelieved him.
Digwa's mother received a jail sentence for assisting an offender by removing the murder weapon. In response to the public outcry and the family's anguish, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has commissioned an independent review. This review, led by Alex Chalk, will examine potential missed opportunities to intervene and investigate how public authorities handled the Nowak family's suffering.
The documentary "Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice" is set to air on ITV, detailing the family's fight for accountability and justice.
