Henry Nowak's family said he 'would have hated' the riots that followed his death as they accused some politicians of playing a 'game' with their son's murder.
asserted
they → say → murder
Mr Nowak, who was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa, was handcuffed by police as he lay dying when his attacker falsely accused him of racial abuse last December.
asserted
attacker → stab → abuse
In police body-worn camera footage, Mr Nowak could be heard repeatedly saying 'I've been stabbed,' to which an officer replied: 'Don't think you have, mate.'
Digwa, 23, was jailed for at least 21 years in June – with the video prompting violent protests in Southampton, which began outside a police station before spreading.
At the time, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called for the public to respond with 'pure cold rage' and demanded an end to what he described as 'two-tier policing'.
uncertain
he → wear → policing
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said there should be 'no two-tier policing, no believing that racism only happens to ethnic minorities', but a spokesman for then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said there was 'no such thing as two-tier policing'.
asserted
spokesman → say → policing
But speaking in a new ITV Tonight documentary, 'Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice', the family said they had 'worked hard' to keep politics out of Mr Nowak's story.
asserted
they → speak → story
Mr Nowak's mother, Lucy Ross, said that she thought some people - without naming names - had tried to use her son's death to advance wider political arguments.
asserted
people → say → arguments
'I suppose that's the game they play, and I can't do anything about that.
asserted
I → suppose → that
But when they think it all links together – no, it doesn't,' she said.
asserted
she → think → ?
'Olivia's lost her brother, and I've lost my son.
asserted
I → lose → son
Henry Nowak's father Mark Nowak (left) and stepmother Katie Nowak (centre), speak with ITV News UK editor Paul Brand (right) in the new documentary 'Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice'
Henry Nowak was stabbed in Southampton last December then handcuffed as he lay dying
On whether she felt 'two-tier policing' was a factor in his death, Lucy said she did not want to make a broader political point but had questions about his case.
asserted
she → speak → case
I'll put it this way.
asserted
I → put → it
I want to know why Henry was on the floor, and he got treated the way he did, but that family got treated [in] a different way.
asserted
family → want → way
Mr Nowak's father Mark Nowak said his son 'was not a divisive person' and the political response to his murder 'didn't sit with Henry's values or our values.'
asserted
response → say → values
His stepmother Katie Nowak added: 'We understand why people were angry.
asserted
people → add → ?
We think everyone should have a right to protest and have their voice heard, but not the riots.'
asserted
voice → think → right
Mr Nowak's sister, Olivia Nowak, said she condemned the riots but understood why people felt angry.
asserted
people → say → riots
Lucy added: 'Go and voice your opinion, go and stand there in a march, go and do what you've got to do, but go home.'
asserted
you → add → what
Mark said that while serious questions about Mr Nowak's death still needed to be answered, they were not political ones.
asserted
they → say → death
'There's a lot that went wrong that night,' he added.
asserted
he → be → ?
'From how the police treated Henry, to Vickrum's ability to carry around a massive dagger on the streets of Britain.
'
asserted
police → treat → Britain
All of those questions have to be answered, but they're not political ones, and we've worked hard not to politicise this.'
asserted
we → have → this
ITV News UK editor Paul Brand (left) speaks to Mr Nowak's sister Olivia (second right) who revealed she alerted her mother Lucy Ross (far right) to the police arriving at the family home
Katie also said: 'For us, it's not about politics, or sides.
asserted
it → speak → politics
We just want the truth.
asserted
We → want → truth
Digwa had falsely told police Mr Nowak racially attacked him and that he had acted in self-defence.
asserted
he → tell → defence
Following the murder, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary made a mandatory self-referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
asserted
Hampshire → follow → Conduct
A letter sent to the family by the watchdog in April said after 'careful consideration of the available evidence' no officers 'would be subject to conduct or criminal investigation'.
asserted
officers → send → conduct
It read: 'This was because there were no concerns identified in relation to officer actions and decisions that would be so serious as to justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, should they be proven
asserted
they → read → proceedings
The letter added the decision not to investigate attending officers would be 'kept under review throughout the life cycle of the case'.
asserted
decision → add → case
The IOPC then announced in July that two officers were under investigation for potential gross misconduct.
asserted
officers → announce → misconduct
The watchdog has said its investigation into potential failures in the police response is expected to wrap up early next year.
asserted
investigation → say → response
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has also commissioned an independent review of the case, including the IOPC's involvement, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, to examine whether there were 'any missed opportunities to intervene'.
asserted
Mahmood → commission → Chalk
Police officers pinned fatally injured Mr Nowak to the ground as he gasped 'I've been stabbed'
asserted
I → pin → ground
Speaking on the documentary, she said she had been 'very moved by the dignity of the family in how they've handled this awful situation which none of us can ever imagine being in and I'm very clear that they deserve answers and I have committed to them that it's my job to make sure that they get the answers.'
asserted
they → speak → answers
Asked whether she had confidence in IOPC, Ms Mahmood added: 'Yes.
asserted
Mahmood → ask → IOPC
The IOPC does good work every day and I think it's important that we recognise that.
asserted
we → do → that
Of course, whether there are questions to answer, that needs to be scrutinised and looked at properly.'
asserted
that → be → ?
She also said: 'I do think we have to recognise that they have a difficult job to do.
asserted
they → say → job
They're the people we turn to when things have gone wrong within policing.
asserted
things → turn → policing
It would be wrong of me to pre-empt any findings that Alex Chalk might make about what's happened with the IOPC in this case.'
uncertain
what → pre → case
Separately, Mr Nowak's family have also claimed Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary (HIOWC) initially suggested to them that he was the aggressor and they were allegedly told officers had immediately administered first aid to him.
uncertain
officers → claim → him
…and 36 more, not listed.
The Aporia
