Police Federation Condemns Vigilante Calls Following Henry Nowak Murder Case
- Dominic Kureen
- Jun 2
- 2 min read
Hampshire Police Federation has condemned calls for "mob or vigilante justice" against police officers following the murder of Henry Nowak.
In a statement issued after public reaction to the case, the Federation said the murder of Mr Nowak was a tragedy and extended its thoughts to his family and friends.
A spokesperson said the actions of the officers involved on the night remain subject to independent scrutiny and stressed that due process must be allowed to take place.
The Federation said it had seen officers wrongly identified online as being involved in the incident, with personal information including home addresses being shared publicly.
In the statement, the spokesperson said:
"The officers' actions that night are subject to rigorous independent scrutiny and we must let that process run its course.
"The Police Federation condemns in the strongest possible terms the calls for mob or vigilante justice against officers we have seen in recent days."
The Federation also called on politicians and media commentators to act responsibly while investigations continue and said it was supporting Hampshire police officers affected by the situation.
The statement comes after Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones described the circumstances surrounding Mr Nowak's death as "a national tragedy".
Her comments followed the sentencing of Vickrum Digwa, who was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years for Mr Nowak's murder.
In a statement, Ms Jones said she had been deeply affected by the details heard during the court case and expressed sympathy for Mr Nowak's family.
She said Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary had already apologised for the decision to arrest and handcuff Mr Nowak shortly before his death and noted that the force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) the day after the incident.
Ms Jones said:
"The details of the police response raises serious concerns about police impartiality, fairness and judgement."
She added that she was committed to ensuring any findings from the IOPC investigation are implemented without delay once published.
The Commissioner also said she intends to write to the Prime Minister requesting a national review of legislation relating to religious exemptions that permit the carrying of certain bladed articles.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into the police response remains ongoing.
A video and accompanying article of the incident can be found via this Sky News link: https://news.sky.com/video/police-body-cam-of-student-attack-released-as-killer-jailed-for-life-13549959
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