Police face death threats over Henry Nowak case, Home Secretary reveals amid ‘dangerous undercurrent’ of intimidation
A police officer has received death threats after he was wrongly identified as being involved in the Henry Nowak murder case, the Home Secretary has said.
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Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Shabana Mahmood warned of a "dangerous undercurrent” of intimidation sparked by the “awful crime".
She said the murder of the 18-year-old student by Vickrum Digwa was a “horrifying” and “evil act”.
Mr Nowak was handcuffed by police as he lay dying after being fatally stabbed by his Sikh attacker.
Ms Mahmood said an officer was “forced to relocate to protect himself and his family” after receiving death threats as he was wrongly identified online as being involved in the murder case.
It comes amid a "dangerous undercurrent... in the reaction to this awful crime", Ms Mahmood said.
She told MPs: "Threats against police officers are utterly unacceptable. There can be no justification for intimidation, abuse or attempts to take the law into one's own hands.
"A police officer unrelated to this case has been misidentified online and subjected to death threats. He has been forced to relocate to protect himself and his family.
"Misinformation and inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful situation even worse.
"We must all together condemn it, and we must also allow the facts to be established to the appropriate investigations and the courts, and we must do so calmly and responsibly."
Ms Mahmood said that the fatal stabbing of the 18-year-old has been “heartbreaking” and "unimaginable" for the Nowak family as she branded the attack an “evil” act.
“Henry, aged just 18, was a first year university student with his life ahead of him. He was kind, hardworking, loved by his family and friends,” she said.
Ms Mahmood added: “His murder at the hands of Vickrum Digwa was a horrifying act. Digwa murdered Henry, and then lied about him as he lay dying, falsely accusing him of racism.
“It was an evil act.
“I know the thoughts of the whole House will now be with Henry’s family and his friends, just as mine are.
“What they have been through is heart-breaking for most of us, unimaginable. I know nothing can take their pain and loss away, but yesterday we saw some measure of justice. Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment. He will serve a minimum term of 21 years.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will now "determine what could and should have been done differently", Ms Mahmood added.
The watchdog is examining a large amount of body-worn video as well as material presented during Digwa’s trial.
The killer of finance student Mr Nowak, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, told police attending the scene of the stabbing in Southampton on December 3, 2025 that he had been the victim of a racist attack.
Body-worn camera footage from the incident appeared to show Mr Nowak, who had received two stab wounds on the back his legs and a fatal wound to his heart, pleading, “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe” while being handcuffed.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said people should respond with “pure cold rage” to Mr Nowak’s treatment, which he said was evidence of a “two-tier culture”.
Mr Nowak was “actually treated in a way that meant an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder”, he said in a video statement.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Mr Farage of deepening divisions as she argued that police should treat everyone equally regardless of race.
On Monday, Digwa was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 21 years for stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade prosecutors said was a kirpan, which he carried as part of his Sikh religion.
The Attorney General’s Office is considering the jail sentence given to Digwa after being urged to review it.
A spokesman for Lord Hermer’s office said: “We have received multiple requests for Vickrum Digwa’s sentence to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
“The law officers have 28 days from sentencing to carefully consider the case and make a decision.”Digwa, his father Moga Singh, 52, and brother Gurpreet Digwa, 27, are to appear in court to face multiple weapons charges on Tuesday afternoon.
There have been calls for a review of the laws around religious defences to carrying weapons, with an expert describing the case as a “watershed moment for the Sikh community” on their responsibilities under the law.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said she would write to the Prime Minister to request a national review of the laws concerning the carrying of bladed articles under religious exemptions.