Britain has opened a review of how public agencies handled information about Vickrum Digwa before he killed Henry Nowak, with findings also expected on the family's treatment by public bodies after the death.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the inquiry Oct. 26 and appointed former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC to lead it. Phase one is expected to report by March 2027.
The review covers the five years leading up to Nowak's death on Dec. 3, 2025. It will examine information agencies held about Digwa, including concerns involving weapons and reports of violent, threatening or erratic behavior. Reviewers will assess how police, health and local authorities, educational institutions, employers and relevant faith organizations evaluated risks and shared information.
The detailed terms also set out checks on services to Nowak's family. Reviewers will examine Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) communications from Dec. 3, 2025, through Digwa's sentencing hearing on June 1, 2026. For the period through Oct. 1, 2026, the terms cover information and support from HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and relevant actions by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).
The Home Office says the review is part of the government's wider strategy to halve knife crime and is intended to draw lessons that could help prevent similar harm. Its central question is whether public bodies had information that could have helped them identify and manage risks.
A second phase will follow completion of the Independent Office for Police Conduct's (IOPC) final report. It will examine the watchdog's work and, if necessary, police actions; the family will be consulted before the phase's scope and schedule are settled. The IOPC said in July that two Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers were under investigation for potential gross misconduct. The watchdog's notice did not mean disciplinary proceedings would necessarily follow.
The terms bar the review from deciding criminal or civil liability, reopening sentencing or misconduct outcomes, or considering changes to laws on offensive weapons and bladed articles. It must avoid prejudicing or interfering with, or duplicating, work by the IOPC, a separate inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), and the coroner. The HMICFRS inspection is examining wider force systems, processes and culture. An inquest is expected in September 2027.
The Nowak family called the announcement “At last, some positive news.” Chalk said his review would “follow the evidence without fear or favour.”
