Henry Nowak's family condemn riots after his death saying he 'would have hated' it
‘I’ve lost my son. I’m not interested in your political game’
The family of a Southampton University student who was stabbed to death have said he ‘would have hated’ riots that took place following his death.
Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa last year before being handcuffed by police as he lay dying after his attacker falsely accused him of racial abuse.
His family have now 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.
Protesters including leaders of Ukip and Britain First, protested in Southampton in the weeks after Mr Nowak’s death.
Speaking in an interview for an 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.
Mr Nowak’s mother, Lucy Ross, said: “I suppose that’s the game they play, and I can’t do anything about that. But when they think it all links together – no, it doesn’t.
“Olivia’s lost her brother, and I’ve lost my son. I’m not interested in your political game.
“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. What is that?”
Mark Nowak told ITV his son “was not a divisive person” and the political response to his murder “didn’t sit with Henry’s values or our values”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed its investigation into potential failures in the police response to Mr Nowak’s stabbing is expected to wrap up early next year.
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”.
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 or admitted.”
The IOPC announced in July that two officers were under investigation for potential gross misconduct.