# Henry Nowak family says son would hate riots

> Henry Nowak’s family claims he’d hate riots after his murder, accusing politicians of exploiting his death.
- Title: Henry Nowak family says son would hate riots · the Guardian
- Summary: Henry Nowak’s family claims he’d hate riots after his murder, accusing politicians of exploiting his death. Henry Nowak’s family says he would have hated the…
- Keywords: henry nowak, vickrum digwa, southampton, reform uk, nigel farage, independent office for police conduct, iopc, police conduct, knife crime, home secretary, shabana mahmood, alex chalk
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/nov/03/henry-nowak-would-have-hated-riots-after-his-murder-his-says-family
- Published: 2026-11-03T08:14:25+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: henry nowak, vickrum digwa, southampton, reform uk, nigel farage, independent office for police conduct, iopc, police conduct, knife crime, home secretary, shabana mahmood, alex chalk
## Henry Nowak’s family says son would hate riots
Henry Nowak’s family claims he would have hated the riots that followed his death as they accused politicians of playing a political game with his murder.

> Henry Nowak ‘would have hated’ riots after his murder, says family
## Henry Nowak murdered in Southampton
Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in December 2025 and handcuffed by police as he lay dying after his attacker falsely accused him of racial abuse.
## Nigel Farage calls for cold rage
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage delivered an emergency address urging the public to respond with ‘pure cold rage’ and demanded an end to what he called ‘two-tier policing’.
## Family says politics not Henry’s values
Henry Nowak’s mother Lucy Ross said her son was not a divisive person and the political response to his murder did not align with his values or their family’s.
## IOPC investigation
The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed its investigation into police response failures in Henry Nowak’s stabbing is expected to wrap up early next year.
## Key takeaway

Henry Nowak’s family says he would have hated the riots following his murder, blaming politicians for using his death in political games.