The British Minister of the Interior, Shebna Mahmoud, ordered an independent investigation into the murder of the 18-year-old student Henry Novak, and to examine whether the authorities missed opportunities to prevent his killing.
The inquiry, led by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk, will examine what the police and other authorities knew about convicted murderer Vicrom Digva before the attack and whether they ignored the warning signs. Phase two will investigate the actions of police officers who responded to the murder scene.
After being stabbed five times in Southampton, Novak was left bleeding and struggling to breathe as police handcuffed him and arrested him following false accusations of racism by his attacker. Despite repeatedly telling officers, “I've been stabbed” and “I can't breathe,” one officer responded, “I don't think you have, buddy. "The police only started providing first aid after he collapsed and lost consciousness.
Digva was sentenced to life in prison in June, with a minimum term of 21 years, after he murdered Novak and falsely claimed that the boy had abused him on racial grounds.
His mother, Kiran Kaur, was also sentenced to three years in prison for removing the murder weapon from the scene. The Ministry of the Interior indicated that she could face deportation.