JD Vance condemns killing of British student, links tragedy to defective migration policy

Crime Diary, International

WASHINGTON, USA (NPA) — United States Vice President JD Vance has delivered a searing critique following the death of Henry Nowak, the 18‑year‑old Southampton university student fatally stabbed on December 3, 2025. Vance metaphorically described the tragedy as “the way a civilisation dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit.”

Vance, in a statement today, said Nowak’s murder was “as tragic as it is enraging,” insisting that he should still be alive today. He argued that Europe’s political elites had failed to defend their societies against “the politics of self‑hatred and the mass invasion of migrants,” warning that Henry’s case was not isolated.

“Each time a life like his is lost, the proper response—the only response—is righteous anger,” Vance declared, adding that the Trump administration had shown the world that defending sovereignty and halting uncontrolled migration is a matter of political will, not excuses.

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The Vice President concluded with a deeply personal appeal: “It is because we love the West that we want to preserve it. We love our civilisation. We love our country. We love our children. And nobody—nobody—should ever die the way that Henry Nowak died.”

Henry’s killer, Vickrum Digwa, 23, who claimed he was the victim of a racist attack, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years. Police body‑camera footage revealed Nowak pleading nine times, “I can’t breathe”, and four times “I’ve been stabbed”, while officers initially dismissed his cries.

Reports confirm that the last words Henry heard were his rights being read as he lay dying, a moment that has fueled public outrage and intensified scrutiny of police conduct in the UK.

The case attracted further attention following the release of police body-camera footage shown during the trial.

The circumstances surrounding the incident and the police response have continued to fuel debate in the United Kingdom and beyond, with commentators citing the case in wider discussions about public safety, immigration policy and law enforcement accountability.

Vance concluded his remarks by offering condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.

“May God comfort those who loved him, and may God rest his soul,” he said.