No.Nonsense.

Henry Nowak.

Remember his name.

December 2025, the 18 year old British university student was leaving a pub in Southampton when he saw Vikrum Digwa, a Punjabi Sikh, walking along, a large ceremonial knife on display. Henry was on Snapchat with a friend and made a comment on “the bad man”. Digwa is heard saying, “I am a bad man,” at which point he turned, brandishing the knife and stabbing Henry. Henry tried to defend himself and then took off running, pursued by Digwa who continued to stab him until Henry went down.

Witnesses to the attack called police who arrived quickly. When questioned, Digwa said that Henry had used a racial slur towards him and attacked him. Police asked if he was injured and he said that he had a bruise to his eye.

Meanwhile, Henry was lying on the ground repeatedly saying he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe. Police handcuffed him as the accused instigator and gave him a cursory examination. Henry continued to say he had been stabbed and couldn’t breathe. One of the officers replied, “I don’t think you have, mate”. They left him on the ground on his side. Handcuffed. Bleeding out.

He died there on that sidewalk with the police standing around and the man who murdered him remaining silent.

Around the world, George Floyd’s death in 2020 was a rallying cry against perceived systemic racism within law enforcement. Black Lives Matter called for an overhaul of that system. Henry Nowak is the result of that overhaul. His death is the endpoint of racism in reverse.

In Great Britain, there has been a surge of anti-hate laws designed to protect non-white, primarily immigrant, citizens from discrimination. The problem with these laws is that they are so draconian that they will jail white citizens who post their misgivings about the unchecked immigration on social media, citing such dissent as hate speech. They allow a young man like Henry to die because they automatically label him as the aggressor and the brown man in the altercation as the victim. They prevent law enforcement from taking the word of the white man as truth.

The prevailing narrative is that racism only goes in one direction but this case shows that those with lighter skin tones can be racially profiled as well. Henry died because he was white and that is the story that no one wants to share.

Digwa was ultimately charged with murder when the evidence showed that Henry did not strike first. When he went to trial, the Sikh claimed self defense. Henry’s autopsy showed that two of the stab wounds were to the backs of his legs as he was trying to escape. The fatal stab wound was through his heart. Digwa was convicted of murder, rightfully so.

And what has happened to the police who ignored Henry’s pleas for help and allowed him to bleed out on the sidewalk with his hands cuffed behind him?

Nothing.

One of the officers was allowed to resign and one to take early retirement. The others are still on the job.

No suspensions. No investigations. No charges.

On Tuesday of this week, when the full bodycam footage was released, a flash protest occurred in front of the Southampton Police Department. The people were standing for Henry.

He didn’t have to die.

His life mattered.

Henry Nowak.

Remember his name.