The family of Henry Nowak has described their world being "changed twice" following his murder in December 2025. The first upheaval came with the news of the 18-year-old student's death, and the second occurred when harrowing police body-worn camera footage emerged showing him being handcuffed as he lay dying.
Mr. Nowak was fatally stabbed with an eight-inch ceremonial dagger in Southampton by Vickrum Digwa. His father, Mark Nowak, recounted the moment police arrived at their home to deliver the news. "I jumped out of bed and I saw the police car on our driveway," said his stepmother, Katie Nowak, in an interview with ITV. "One of the police officers was holding his hat in his hand, and I just knew straight away that something horrific had happened." Mark Nowak described the moment he heard of his son's death as "unbelievable pain."
The family shared their experiences for the first time in a new documentary, "Dear Henry: Our Fight For Justice." Digwa was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years in June. His mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender after she removed the knife used in the attack.
The release of the police bodycam footage intensified the family's grief. In the video, Mr. Nowak can be heard repeatedly stating, "I've been stabbed," to which an officer replies, "Don't think you have, mate." Katie Nowak stated, "The second time was when we watched that video."
During his sentencing, Judge William Mousley noted that Kiran Kaur's actions helped conceal her son's crime and contributed to the "degradation of Henry being arrested when he was dying." The Crown Prosecution Service had previously released a video showing Digwa asking his mother to take away the weapon.
Following the case, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced an independent review into the murder. The review, led by former lord chancellor Alex Chalk, will examine "any missed opportunities to intervene" and how public authorities treated the Nowak family. Chalk stated that the review "will follow the evidence without fear or favour" and will also address the "serious questions" raised about agencies' potential failure to act on complaints about Digwa's behavior.