Kemi Badenoch accuses police of Henry Nowak ‘cover-up’

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed that police forces and watchdogs covered up officers’ response to the murder of Henry Nowak. Speaking to ITV News, Badenoch said that “if what [the Nowak family] are saying is true, then yes, it looks like there has been a cover-up.” Referring to the upcoming independent review into the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Nowak by Vickrum Digwa last December, the Tory leader added: “That’s why we need to see this investigation.”

As part of an ITV documentary aired on Thursday evening, Nowak’s family said they believe they were “manipulated in their darkest hours” by Hampshire Police, as well as by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which oversees complaints made against officers. Badenoch told ITV News that “I’m not in a position to have full confidence in the IOPC. There are lots of good people who work in the IOPC, but I have heard enough complaints from families like the Novaks […] and even the police themselves to know that something is not working quite right.”

The Conservative leader’s comments are in contrast to the position adopted by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who stated earlier this week that she had “full confidence” in the IOPC and that the watchdog “does good work every day”. The Labour minister added: “They’re the people we turn to when things have gone wrong within policing.” According to Badenoch, “the IOPC does a lot of good work, but I’m not in a place to say that there have not been failings, and so I can’t give that full confidence.”

On Thursday, Digwa’s minimum sentence was increased from 21 years to 25 years after he appealed against the term, labelling it “manifestly excessive”. In December 2025, he stabbed Nowak five times with a dagger he claimed he carried as part of his Sikh faith. When Hampshire Police officers arrived at the scene, bodycam footage revealed, they handcuffed the dying teenager as Digwa falsely told them that Nowak had racially abused him. When Nowak said he had been stabbed, one attending officer replied: “I don’t think you have, mate.”

He died shortly afterwards. In July, the IOPC announced that it was investigating two officers involved in the response for “gross misconduct”. During her ITV interview, Badenoch argued for changing the law around weapons with religious associations, such as the blade used to murder Nowak. “Protecting religious freedoms means one particular thing,” she said. “There is no freedom to murder in any religion, and I think that we need to bring some common sense into this.”

She added: “I don’t think using a religious object should allow you to have a lesser sentence. If somebody hurts you with a wooden crucifix, they shouldn’t get a lighter sentence.” Digwa’s mother Kiran Kaur was jailed for three years in July for removing the murder weapon from the crime scene. After Kaur abandoned an appeal against her sentence shortly before yesterday’s hearing, Badenoch said that “I would not want to be seeing that lady coming out after serving what I believe is just a third of her sentence.

That is too short.” The Tory leader continued: “[Kaur] knew what her son did. She concealed a weapon. She was rightly sentenced for it. She should serve her full sentence.” Posting on social media on Thursday evening, the Tory leader also argued that “Henry’s murderer deserves the maximum sentence he can get.” Rob Lownie is UnHerd’s Deputy Editor, Newsroom. RobLownie