Ex-Lord Chancellor to probe whether police and schools missed chances to stop Henry Nowak's murder

Published 26 October 2026, 17:22

• Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the review, calling the 18-year-old's killing 'a horrific and senseless crime'
• Alex Chalk KC will examine five years of warnings about killer Vickrum Digwa's 'violent and erratic behaviour'
• Henry's family hailed 'a significant moment in our fight for justice' after 'deeply disappointing' treatment by authorities

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced an independent review into the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, appointing former Lord Chancellor Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC to examine whether police, schools and other agencies missed chances to stop killer Vickrum Digwa.

"Henry was just 18 years old, with his whole life ahead of him," Mahmood said. "His murder was a horrific and senseless crime, and my thoughts remain with his family and friends, who have endured unimaginable loss and heartbreak."

The review will run in two phases, according to the government announcement.

The first phase will look into what was known about Digwa in the five years before the attack, examining whether anything could have been done to stop the murder.

That phase will encompass law enforcement, healthcare services, councils, schools and colleges, and religious bodies, with its scope extending to issues around carrying weapons and behaviour that is violent, threatening or erratic.

The inquiry's first phase will examine the treatment of the Nowak family by criminal justice agencies in the aftermath of Henry's death — among them the police, CPS, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, and HM Prison and Probation Service.

Chalk is expected to report back to the Home Secretary by March 2027.

Phase 2 will begin once the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has completed its investigation into the responding officers, and will examine the conduct of the IOPC and, where required, the police.

The Nowak family called the announcement "a significant moment in our fight for justice."

"Since Henry was murdered, we've fought tirelessly for answers to questions no family should ever have to ask," the family said. "The emotional toll of that fight, on top of the unimaginable grief of losing Henry, has been immense."

"Our experience of the criminal justice system has been deeply disappointing, and we are determined that no other family should have to endure what we have," they said, per the government statement.

The family hopes the review, alongside the ongoing investigations and inquest, "will finally uncover the full truth and deliver the accountability and meaningful change we have fought so hard for."

They thanked Mahmood "for listening to our concerns and taking action" and Chalk for agreeing to lead the review, but cautioned that "there is still a long road ahead."

"We will not stop fighting until we secure the answers, accountability and meaningful change that Henry, and every family in this country, deserves," they said.

Chalk said the murder of Henry, "an innocent young man," at Digwa's hands "shocked the nation," and that serious questions have been raised about whether organisations failed to act on complaints about Digwa's "violent and erratic behaviour."

"My review will follow the evidence without fear or favour," he said. "They deserve nothing less."

Mahmood praised the family's "extraordinary courage and dignity in their pursuit of answers," saying the case raised "serious and legitimate questions" and the review "will leave no stone unturned."

She said Chalk "brings considerable experience and expertise" and will act with "the rigour, independence and seriousness that Henry's case demands."