Henry Nowak’s parents have called for “common sense” to be brought back to policing after the family met with Kemi Badenoch.
The Conservative leader gave a statement following the meeting today, describing the family’s courage as “extraordinary”.
She wrote on X: “Henry’s family do not want anger to tear communities apart. They are a family who have friends across faith and race, and so did Henry. His family want his memory to help bring our society together.”
“Everyone knows I have strong views about how we should deal with equality under the law.
“What the family agreed with me on is that we need to bring common sense back, and that is what we should all be fighting for.”
Mrs Badenoch also detailed how the family asked her to work “across political parties and religions” in order to rebuild faith in the police, despite “trust” being broken “because of what happened”.
She also called for greater examination of exemptions which allow the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, referring to the fact Vickrum Digwa, 23, Mr Nowak’s killer, using a Sikh ceremonial knife to fatally stab the 18-year-old five times.
The Tory leader wrote: “We must also be prepared to examine, carefully and seriously, religious practices or exemptions that permit the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, and other activities that are not conducive to the public good. We also need to examine where the law needs to change.”
Mrs Badenoch announced the meeting had happened on X
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X / @KEMIBADENOCH
Under Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, the law allows exemptions to a carry a knife for work, as part of national costume or for religious reasons.
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