The Trump administration has finally addressed the tragic murder of British teenager Henry Nowak, breaking its previous silence on the matter.
Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student, was fatally stabbed in Southampton last December. Shockingly, while he lay on the ground, critically injured, UK police placed him in handcuffs.
The assailant, 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, attacked Nowak with a ceremonial dagger, a weapon that is religiously significant and traditionally worn by Sikh men. In a disturbing twist, Digwa misled officers at the scene by falsely claiming that he was the target of a racially motivated attack.
The U.S. State Department took to social media to express its concerns, stating, “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilisational decline. They must be rejected across the West.”
They also extended their sympathies, saying, “The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time.”
This marks the first occasion on which the Trump administration has commented on this politically sensitive case unfolding in the UK.
Stomach-churning police body cam footage of the incident was recently released, showing Mr Nowak pleading with police that he had been stabbed.
‘I don’t think you have, mate,’ one of the officers said as the teen was being handcuffed.
Henry Nowak, 18, who was murdered by Vickrum Digwa, 23. The State Department slammed the UK’s ‘two-tiered policing system’ in a statement released on Thursday
Body camera footage from the scene shows police handcuffing Mr Nowak as he bled out
Digwa can also be seen in the footage standing above Mr Nowak, who told the authorities he had been stabbed and could not breathe
The 18-year-old could be heard telling authorities that he couldn’t breathe during the incident, which some online have likened to the death of George Floyd.
A minute or so after handcuffing Mr Nowak, the authorities realised the extent of his injuries and began to provide medical care.
On Monday, Digwa was sentenced to life in prison.
Mr Nowak’s family was invited to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday at 10 Downing Street.
Starmer has accused Elon Musk of ‘trying to whip up division’ in Britain over the murder.
Musk has repeatedly posted about the tragedy in the past week.
‘Send the video to everyone you know showing how heinously Nowak was treated by the police in his dying moments and how the police cravenly kowtowed to his murderer,’ Musk wrote on Tuesday.
‘Legacy mainstream media, same ones who wrote about George Floyd millions of times, are dead silent about Nowak.’
Vickrum Digwa was sentenced to life in prison on June 1, 2026, over the killing of Henry Nowak
The ceremonial Sikh knife used on Henry by Digwa
Nowak with his father, who gave a statement outside court after Digwa’s sentencing
Conservative figures in the UK argue that the murder is proof that police in Britain treat white people and ethnic minorities differently.
The State Department’s statement, citing the country’s ‘two-tiered policing,’ falls in line with those domestic criticisms.
Protests have erupted in the UK over the murder, with hordes of activists taking to the streets demanding justice for Mr Nowak.
It comes after Mr Nowak’s bereft older sister shared a series of poignant tributes to her brother, including carefree footage of them dancing and singing together at home.
Olivia Nowak, 22, said her younger sibling will be ‘forever 18’, writing in a moving message online: ‘I will miss and love you forever.’
Olivia created two TikTok tributes to her younger brother in the aftermath of his murder. Both have since gone viral following Digwa’s sentencing this week.
The first montage, made just ten days after Mr Nowak’s death in December 2025, is set to Coldplay’s hit Yellow.
The 53-second clip, captioned ‘forever 18 brother x’, shows a happy, enthusiastic and much-loved young man full of life at the heart of his family.
Mr Nowak, one of four siblings, grew up in Essex before moving to Southampton for university, where he died. The teenager is seen dancing at home and at family events, including on the dancefloor at a wedding.
He is most often shown alongside his beloved sister Olivia, dancing together in the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen of their family home in Chafford Hundred.
The pair also worked part-time at their local Morrisons, with Olivia sharing several clips of them in uniform enjoying light-hearted moments during their shifts.
But tragically there are also images of flowers and other tributes left after he was stabbed to death.
Olivia shared a further tribute featuring pictures of the two together, including one of them holding hands.
In another, Mr Nowak smiles broadly with his arm around his sister while on holiday.
Olivia wrote: ‘Never felt pain like this. Forever my best friend. Fly high my angel brother.’
The gallery is set to Talking To The Moon by Bruno Mars, a song about longing to speak to someone who is no longer there. Olivia and Mr Nowak were clearly incredibly close.
At the end of Digwa’s trial, she outlined the profound shock and trauma of learning of her brother’s death, as well as the anguish surrounding his identification and funeral. Olivia also spoke of facing milestones without him, including his birthday, Christmas and other family occasions.
Turning to face Digwa in the dock, she said: ‘If you had known Henry, you would never have hurt him.’
Olivia, who was 21 when her brother died, added: ‘My brother had my whole heart. He was a part of me, and I lost a part of myself when he died.’
