Hampshire Police face inspection over Henry Nowak murder response in Southampton

A national inspectorate will assess Hampshire Police's training and processes after officers handcuffed stabbing victim Henry Nowak as he lay dying.

Inspectorate launches review of Hampshire Police after Nowak handcuffing scandal

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has launched a formal inspection into Hampshire Police's response to violent incidents, BBC News reports, following the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak in Southampton.

Nowak was repeatedly stabbed on 3 December by Vickrum Digwa, who falsely claimed to officers that he had been the victim of a racist attack. Hampshire Police initially arrested Nowak and placed him in handcuffs as he lay dying. Digwa was jailed for life in June, with a minimum term of 21 years, after the trial judge rejected his claims of self-defence.

The inspection was requested by Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones. "Henry's family deserve answers, and the public deserve reassurance that their police service is equipped to recognise victims and provide the highest standard of care when it matters most," Jones said.

She added that the public "must have confidence that police officers receive the right information, the right training and the right support to make critical decisions."

Nowak, from Chafford Hundred in Essex, was a first-year student at the University of Southampton at the time of his death. Previously released footage of him in handcuffs prompted national outrage and sparked violent disorder in the city. The case has since fuelled wider national debates over policing, race and knife laws.

HMICFRS inspectors will assess the force's end-to-end response to serious violence, from control room call handling and dispatch through to initial officer attendance at incidents. The review will also examine decision-making and risk assessment training, with particular focus on how officers are supported to make bias-free judgements and identify when immediate action — including first aid — is required.

Jones said the inspection would provide "an independent assessment of the force's training, processes and culture, including the handling of allegations of racially aggravated assault."

The review will not, however, examine the specific conduct of officers who responded on the night of the attack. That aspect remains subject to a separate gross misconduct investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The Commissioner's office confirmed the scope of the HMICFRS inspection had been deliberately designed to avoid interfering with those ongoing judicial and conduct proceedings.

Source: BBC News