Police officer forced into hiding as fake rumours spread after Henry Nowak murder
A serving police officer has been forced into hiding after being misidentified online in the wake of Henry Nowak’s murder, after receiving death threats.
Mahmood warns of dangerous undercurrent (Image: Parliament)
A serving police officer has been forced into hiding after being misidentified in the wake of the Henry Nowak murder. The unnamed officer received death threats and had to move out of his home in order to protect both himself and his family. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the relocation in a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon.
Ms Mahmood warned of a “dangerous undercurrent” emerging in the wake of the killing of Mr Nowak, who was killed by Vickrum Digwa. She described the murder as a “horrifying act” in a statement to MPs adding that Mr Nowak “was kind, hardworking, loved by his family and friends.”
But she warned that misinformation being spread online in the aftermath of the tragedy had seen death threats made toward serving police officers.
The Home Secretary praised officers and said they carried out a “sacred duty” to keep the British public safe.
She told MPs that officers had to “police without fear or favour” and added that “everyone in this country is equal before the law.”
Ms Mahmood said: “It is the promise upon which our whole justice system rests, and the equality of every citizen is the foundation on which the openness, tolerance and generosity of this country rests.”
She continued: “Threats against police officers are utterly unacceptable. There can be no justification for intimidation, abuse or attempts to take the law into one’s own hands.
“A police officer unrelated to this case has been misidentified online and subjected to death threats. He has been forced to relocate to protect himself and his family.
“Misinformation and inflammatory commentary is making a dreadful situation even worse. We must all, together, condemn it.”
Digwa killed Nowak in horrifying act (Image: Police handout)
The Home Secretary wanted MPs not to allow the murder of Henry Nowak to “turn communities against one another”.
His murder was a “vile and violent crime” and the “punishment must be reserved for those who are responsible for the act.”
Ms Mahmood added: “We do not believe in collective punishment in this country, instead we stand together against an act of pure evil. We condemn those who committed this heinous crime, not all those who share their faith or their ethnicity.”
Digwa, 23, will serve a minimum of 21 years following the brutal killing. He was also convicted of carrying a bladed weapon in public while his mother, Kiran Kaur, 53, was found guilty of assisting an offender by removing the weapon from the scene.
