Reports indicate that British police handcuffed a stabbing victim while he lay dying, all the while his attacker shouted racial insults.
On December 3, 2023, at around 11:00 p.m., Henry Nowak, 18, was assaulted during a night out with friends. Prosecutors allege that Vikrum Dighwa, 23, fatally stabbed Nowak using an 8-inch knife associated with Sikh rituals. While Sikhs in the UK are legally exempt from carrying such knives, known as ‘kirpans,’ prosecutors have charged Dighwa with murder, a claim he disputes.
Dighwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, is also facing charges for allegedly helping her son by removing weapons from the scene. She denies the accusation, but video evidence reportedly shows her retrieving the knife and taking it back to their home, where it was later found.
After the incident, Nowak reportedly attempted to escape by climbing a fence, leaving a trail of blood behind. Prosecutors assert that Dighwa aggressively pursued him.
Prosecutor Nicholas Robbenberg stated in court, “He didn’t seek help from the man he had hurt with a large knife but instead accused him of being drunk and racist.” When the police arrived, Nowak was still alive but was arrested and handcuffed after Dighwa claimed Nowak had racially insulted him. Robbenberg added that the police administered first aid after Nowak collapsed, but he died shortly thereafter.
The relevance of whether Nowak made any racial slurs seems somewhat disconnected from whether Dighwa actually murdered him. It’s hard to comprehend how stabbing someone is a reasonable reaction to being heckled. And honestly, I can’t help but question the decision to arrest a dying man based on claims of racism.
