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Stephen Lawrence’s mom has urged politicians to not halt progress made on racial equality within the UK following the homicide of Henry Nowak.
Baroness Doreen Lawrence of Clarendon shared her condolences with the household of Mr Nowak, 18, who was stabbed and later handcuffed by officers as he lay dying in Southampton on December 3, 2025.
Mr Nowak’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, advised police attending the scene of the stabbing that he had been the sufferer of a racist assault.
The Nationwide Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has introduced it would assessment anti-racism steerage.
The steerage at present establishes a “dedication to racial fairness” and notes this “doesn’t imply treating everybody ‘the identical’ or being ‘color blind’”.
Within the Home of Lords, former Metropolitan Police officer Lord Davies of Gower mentioned “all situations of id politics have to be consigned to the dustbin of historical past”.
The Conservative shadow Residence Workplace minister requested whether or not the Authorities could be “scrapping the police anti-racism dedication and all related ideology-motivated equality, range and inclusion insurance policies”.
Conservative former MP Baroness Money mentioned Mr Nowak’s homicide had raised “points concerning the conduct of the police and their paranoia on the bottom”, calling for “a correct assessment of police coaching”.
Residence Workplace minister Lord Hanson of Flint replied: “I do know that the (Nationwide) Police Chiefs’ Council and the Authorities will replicate on the problem of coaching.
“However I’ll simply say that the police nonetheless have a sacred responsibility to police with out concern or favour.
“Everybody on this nation is equal earlier than the legislation and it’s the promise on which our justice system rests.
“The equality of the citizen is the inspiration of that policing and we’ll have a look at the teachings to be discovered. It’s not an empty phrase.”
Girl Lawrence, a Labour peer, mentioned: “My condolence goes out to Henry Nowak’s household.
“I believe what’s occurred with him ought to by no means have occurred.
“And the police needs to be at fault for what occurred on that night time.”
She referred to feedback made by Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch within the Every day Mail newspaper, that “Henry’s homicide and the police’s botched response have to be a seminal second for Britain on a par with the homicide of Stephen Lawrence”.
After 18-year-old Mr Lawrence was murdered in a racist assault in 1993, an inquiry discovered “institutional racism” within the Metropolitan Police and different forces.
“It’s incumbent upon each establishment to look at their insurance policies and the result of their insurance policies and practices to protect towards disadvantaging any part of our communities,” the assessment by Sir William Macpherson discovered.
Mrs Badenoch on Wednesday wrote: “Many battles have been gained in making our society higher and fairer since then.
“But now we’re going backwards – due to a pernicious id politics amplified in 2020 by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) motion, sparked by the demise of George Floyd in Minnesota whereas being restrained by a white police officer.”
Girl Lawrence mentioned: “Now, when my son was murdered, there was no person standing up and asking for judgment to occur for him. And the mere undeniable fact that the chief of the Opposition within the Different Place can use my son’s identify in referring to reform – it took 20 years and extra for anyone to know the homicide of my son and to have anyone convicted.”
Reflecting on Wednesday’s debate within the higher chamber, she mentioned many friends had “no thought what race equality means”.
She added: “I believe to be in right here and also you stand able of energy that you could say that you just need to change and return to what it was earlier than – for me, what we’ve moved on to is a significantly better equality for all on this nation.”
Lord Hanson replied: “I consider that we have to preserve and retain equality, range, and an understanding of the influence of these challenges within the police.
“However that doesn’t say we will’t be taught classes about what occurred on this occasion.”
Digwa was given a life sentence with a minimal of 21 years in jail for stabbing Mr Nowak with a ceremonial knife with a 21cm blade that prosecutors mentioned was a kirpan, which he carried as a part of his Sikh faith.
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