Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons on Monday that the British government will commission an independent review of the murder of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student fatally stabbed in Southampton in December 2025, the BBC reported¹.

The BBC said Vickrum Digwa was convicted in the killing and jailed for life on 1 June with a minimum term of 21 years, and that he had falsely claimed racial abuse and self-defence¹. After the stabbing, body-worn camera footage of Nowak being handcuffed as he lay dying prompted scrutiny of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and wider debate over knife laws, race, policing and public trust, according to the report¹.

The review will be led by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC, the BBC said¹. Mahmood told MPs the inquiry would look at what was known about Nowak's killer, whether there were missed chances to intervene, and how his family was treated afterward¹.

"We must get to truth of what happened before, during and after that awful night," Mahmood said, according to the BBC¹. The outlet described the item as breaking news still being updated and did not publish further terms of reference at the time of filing¹.