Henry Nowak was 18 - a kind and hard-working student with his life ahead of him. His murder โ at the hands of Vickrum Digwa - was a horrifying and evil act. Digwa murdered Henry and then lied about him, as he lay dying - falsely accusing him of racism.
The Nowak family deserve answers about what happened on that night, particularly in the police response.
@policeconduct will be equipped with the resources, authority and independence it needs to conduct a full, fearless and transparent investigation. They must find the truth and ensure, if necessary, that there are consequences.
It is also clear that we must take action to tackle the daily tragedy of knife crime. Progress has been made, with knife crime now falling, but we must go further. That is why I have recently published this Government's Halving Knife Crime Plan.
We must be clear about who is responsible for this crime. The punishment must be reserved for those who are responsible for this evil act. 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 ethnicity.
A final note. With further sentencing and possible charges pending, and misinformation already circulating, we must be cautious in what we say about this case so proceedings are not placed at risk. Those responsible must be brought to justice.