Kemi Badenoch: Hampshire Constabulary carried out a cover‑up in the way officers treated Henry Nowak after he was murdered. Our verdict: Partly True.
Kemi Badenoch made the claim in a GB News report, in which she said it looked like there had been a cover-up by Hampshire Constabulary over the treatment of Henry Nowak after his murder.
Our verdict
Partly True
Henry Nowak was murdered, and Hampshire Constabulary has serious questions to answer about how officers treated him as he was dying. But the specific claim that the force carried out a cover-up is not yet proven, because the investigations that could confirm or disprove it are still running.
What we found
The first part of the claim is accurate. Henry Nowak was murdered by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on 3 December 2025, as confirmed by the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner and by the Home Office's terms of reference for an independent review. The second part — that Hampshire Constabulary carried out a cover-up — is not something we can confirm. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has opened a gross misconduct investigation into two Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers over their handling of Henry Nowak, including a failure to give medical aid and the decision to handcuff him while he was dying, according to BBC News and the IOPC. The Home Office has also announced an independent review, and HMICFRS is inspecting the force. But none of these bodies has yet concluded that evidence was hidden or altered, which is what a cover-up would require. So the claim is partly true: the murder and the serious police failings are established, but the allegation of a deliberate cover-up remains unproven.
The evidence
2 of 6 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
- Background
Kemi Badenoch publicly said it looked like there had been a cover-up by Hampshire Constabulary over the treatment of Henry Nowak after his murder. The same report confirms Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed by Vickrum Digwa in Southampton on 3 December last year. [1]
- Supports the claim
The Home Office announced an independent review into the murder of Henry Nowak. It will examine how the Nowak family were treated by agencies including the police, and will consider the actions of the IOPC and police after their investigation concludes. [2]
- Supports the claim
The Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner confirmed Henry Nowak was fatally stabbed on 3 December 2025 and welcomed the Home Office review into the police response and the family's treatment. [3]
- Background
The IOPC opened a gross misconduct investigation into two Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary officers over their handling of Henry Nowak before his death, after Vickrum Digwa was convicted of his murder. [4]
- Background
The IOPC opened an independent investigation into the actions of Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers during their contact with Henry Nowak before his death on 4 December 2025, after a mandatory referral from the force. [5]
- Background
BBC News reported that Henry Nowak was murdered in December 2025 and that a coroner's inquest will examine whether police actions or delays contributed to his death. [6]
What we could not confirm
- Whether Hampshire Constabulary deliberately concealed or altered evidence, which is what a cover-up would require. The IOPC gross misconduct investigation and the Home Office independent review are still ongoing, and their findings are not yet available.
- Whether officers intended to mislead investigators. The evidence so far points to negligence and procedural failures, such as handcuffing a dying man and failing to give aid, but not to intent to conceal.
- The outcome of the coroner's inquest into whether police actions or delays contributed to Henry Nowak's death.
How we checked
We looked at official announcements from the Home Office, the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the Independent Office for Police Conduct, plus BBC News reporting and the original GB News article carrying the claim. We checked whether any of these sources concluded that evidence was hidden or altered, and found none that did. We reviewed 14 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]GB News · Kemi Badenoch accuses police officers of 'cover up' over Henry Nowak murder
- [2]gov.uk · Home Secretary announces independent review into the murder of Henry Nowak · October 26, 2026
- [3]hampshire-pcc.gov.uk · Commissioner welcomes Home Office independent review into Henry Nowak murder · October 27, 2026
- [4]policeconduct.gov.uk · IOPC investigating conduct of two officers in Henry Nowak case | Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) · July 1, 2026
- [5]policeconduct.gov.uk · Statement regarding our investigation into contact Hampshire and Isle of Wight officers had with Henry Nowak | Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) · June 2, 2026
- [6]BBC · Henry Nowak inquest to probe actions of police, coroner says · June 4, 2026
Have evidence we missed?
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