Police failures and racist “responses” to dreadful attacks

JVL Introduction

This statement from the Institute of Race Relations about the terrible murder of Henry Nowak starts almost in desperation saying: “If only we lived in a country where facts were allowed to speak for themselves ‒ where the path to justice was not littered with the untruths of GB News and the distortions of politicians…” 

If only! Meanwhile, riots broke out in Southampton and now in Belfast and elsewhere that are widely reported as a “response” to the ghastly attack by a Sudanese man with the right to remain on Stephen Ogilvie leaving him with serious and life changing injuries.

The Institute of Race Relations highlight some important facts, for example that the police ignored warnings from the Sikh community about Vickrum Digwa, (who killed Henry Nowak) and that a white man stabbed a Saudi man to death – which has had almost no coverage. So the media and politicians condemn the violence but they continue to link these dreadful attacks to concerns about levels of immigration, thereby legitimising the “response” even while regretting that it has gone too far. They barely even mention that individuals committed these crimes, that white British people commit violence too. The far right, egged on by the likes of Elon Musk pretend to be concerned about the victims as they completely ignore the explicit wishes of both families not to turn their anger into violence and division.

Refugee Week with the theme of Courage begins on Monday, June 15th; this is a chance for us to stand firm for justice for everyone, for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing persecution and for Stephen Ogilvie and Henry Nowak’s family.

This article was originally published by Institute of Race Relations on Thu 11 Jun 2026. Read the original here.