Speaking in the Commons, Mahmood said the review would be led by the former Conservative lord chancellor Alex Chalk KC and would report its initial findings within five months. It will investigate what was known about the perpetrator, Vickrum Digwa, including any missed opportunities to intervene, and will examine the Nowak family's experience of the criminal justice system.
"Last December, Henry Nowak's life was cut short in a horrific and senseless act of violence," Mahmood said. "My thoughts today are with Henry's family and his friends, who have shown extraordinary courage and dignity."
The review follows claims that Digwa, 23, had a history of threatening behaviour and an obsession with weapons. Young local Sikhs have accused Digwa of using threatening behaviour in a Southampton gurdwara in the months before the attack. The Sun reported that Digwa was seen brandishing an airgun in his back garden in October 2022; a neighbour who recorded him firing shots said she reported it to police, but Hampshire constabulary was unable to find a record of the incident.
Nowak, 18, died after being stabbed as he walked home from a night out. Body-worn camera footage, which prompted a public outcry, showed police handcuffing him while he was bleeding to death, after Digwa falsely accused Nowak of racial abuse. In the footage Nowak is heard saying "I've been stabbed," to which an officer replied: "Don't think you have, mate." His death sparked widespread protests, allegations of "two-tier policing" and a spike in racist attacks against the UK's Sikh community. Digwa, a Sikh, was carrying two knives, including a kirpan, a ceremonial blade whose carrying is permitted in the UK for religious purposes.
Two officers who were first on the scene are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for potential gross misconduct. The investigation is looking at why they did not recognise that Nowak needed urgent medical attention and at the decision to arrest him rather than provide first aid. Mahmood said the review would also consider the actions of the IOPC once its investigation had concluded.
The Nowak family welcomed the review as a "significant moment" in their fight for justice. "Since Henry was murdered, we've fought tirelessly for answers to questions no family should ever have to ask," they said. "We hope this 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. 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."
Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years. He has been given permission to challenge the length of that sentence at the court of appeal on 5 November. His mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender after removing the knife used by her son. The knife was found by police at the family home along with more than 20 other weapons.