The UK is facing intense debate over police conduct, racial issues, and knife crime after footage from a police body camera showed officers handcuffing an 18-year-old male stabbing victim who later died, following belief in racist abuse claims made by the perpetrator still at the scene.
The case of Henry Novak, an 18-year-old university student fatally stabbed by 23-year-old Vikram Dikwa last December, has become a major topic of criticism across the UK. It resurfaced after Dikwa was sentenced to life imprisonment and police body camera footage showing officers' actions was released.
In the video, Novak is seen severely injured, lying on the ground struggling to breathe, repeatedly telling police "I've been stabbed" and "I can't breathe" over nine times. Despite this, officers approached, grabbed his wrists, and pulled him up to handcuff him. One officer says, "You got stabbed? Where? I don't think so, mate," before charging Novak with assault while he was losing consciousness.
Police focused on the victim rather than the killer because at the scene, Vikram Dikwa, a Sikh, lied to officers claiming he was the victim of racially motivated assault by Novak, who is white. The officers apparently accepted Dikwa's false claim immediately. However, the court clearly ruled Dikwa's accusations of racism were entirely fabricated.
This incident has raised questions about the National Police Chiefs' Council's (NPCC) "Anti-racism commitments" policy, which encourages officers to treat ethnic groups differently to promote equality. Opposition and various politicians argue this policy causes police to fear accusations of racism, leading them to ignore facts and fail to save lives.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed disgust after viewing the video, stating, "There are important questions police must answer about how the allegation of racism affected decision-making in this case."
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, angrily said, "This is evidence of a two-tier standard of policing in England. False allegations of racism are given more weight than the life of a dying man."
The incident sparked violent protests in Southampton, where hundreds clashed with riot police, throwing bricks and bins at officers. The Justice Minister condemned those exploiting Novak's death to sow division.
Novak's family issued a statement calling the police's treatment of their son "inhumane and utterly degrading." However, Novak's father emphasized he did not want his son's death used to fuel racial or religious hatred, stating this was a "murder case," not a Sikh religious issue.
Currently, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is urgently investigating the officers involved. One has resigned while three remain on duty. Meanwhile, the Attorney General is reviewing Dikwa's life sentence following complaints that the punishment is too lenient given the brutal murder and attempts to obstruct justice.