In a shocking revelation, Hampshire Police prepared an official statement three days after the murder of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak that would have portrayed him as the aggressor in the incident that led to his death.
According to a Sunday Times investigation, senior officers drafted the statement shortly after Nowak was fatally stabbed on December 3, 2025.
Internal emails and documents obtained by newspaper show senior officers were more focused on managing public perception and countering alleged “disinformation” on social media than on supporting the victim’s family in the immediate aftermath.
The force also considered issuing further statements during the trial, but was warned by the Crown Prosecution Service that doing so could prejudice proceedings.
The draft described the confrontation as an “assault” by an unknown man on two others (Digwa and his brother), effectively backing the killer’s false claim that Nowak had racially abused and attacked him.
All this despite the clear evidence of the facts.
The force only abandoned this wording after strong objections from Nowak’s grieving family.
The revelation has caused profound additional distress to Henry Nowak’s family.
In a statement, they described learning about the draft police statement as “deeply traumatic,” saying it felt like the authorities were more concerned with protecting the force’s image than with seeking justice for their son in the immediate aftermath of his brutal murder.
This latest disclosure comes on top of already widespread outrage over bodycam footage showing officers handcuffing the dying teenager as he repeatedly told them “I’ve been stabbed” and “I can’t breathe.”
Vickrum Singh Digwa, who was convicted of Nowak’s murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 21 years, had falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist attack.
Police failed to take the knife from Digwa after his arrest and didn’t bother handcuffing the killer either.
Several politicians, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have described the handling of the case as a textbook example of “two-tier policing,” where fear of racism accusations appears to override basic operational common sense and victim support.
Several MPs and commentators have called for a full independent inquiry into how race and political correctness influence frontline policing decisions.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is already investigating the officers’ handling of the incident, including the use of handcuffs on a clearly injured man and ignoring his calls for help.
A CPS spokesman has now said: “The CPS highlighted to the police that protecting the integrity of the ongoing trial was essential, and of the risks of referring to any aspect of the evidence before it had been heard by the court and the case had been summed up by the judge to the jury.
“However, it was made clear that whether a statement was released was ultimately a police operational decision.”
A spokeswoman for Hampshire Police said: “Following the opening of the trial and the media reporting that followed, a significant amount of mis- and disinformation was circulating online.
“This included requests for information to be shared that had not been fully examined as part of the murder trial.
“The intention of the statement was to remind the public that there were ongoing legal proceedings and that the law is clear that nothing could be published which could prejudice the trial.
“The decision not to publish was taken following advice from the CPS.”
Distressing body-worn camera footage released by Hampshire Police has sparked widespread outrage after showing officers completely misreading the situation and ignoring pleas by the fatally wounded Henry Nowak for help. https://t.co/lODGUEILWm
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) June 2, 2026
