Handcuffed Student Case Triggers Protests Across Britain

British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has condemned violent protests that followed the murder conviction of the man who killed 18-year-old student Henry Nowak.

Nowak was handcuffed by police last year as he lay fatally wounded after his attacker falsely claimed that Nowak had racially assaulted him. On Monday, his killer, Vickrum Digwa, was convicted of the murder.

Police body camera footage showed Nowak telling officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe, but at least one officer did not believe him. Pathologists concluded, however, that he would have died from his injuries regardless of the response of emergency services.

Mahmood rejected the notion that the case justified violence and unrest. In Southampton, protesters clashed with police, objects were thrown and two people were arrested. A further protest is planned outside parliament in London.

Nowak's family described his treatment as inhumane and humiliating, but also called on the public not to use his death to further divide society.

The case has prompted a wider debate about police rules governing the treatment of different ethnic groups. The government welcomed a review of those rules but rejected claims of a double standard. Hampshire Police has apologized and one of its officers has resigned.

(reuters, bak)