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Corbyn urges public to ignore Vance's comments on Nowak killing
🇮🇪 Ireland /Crime & Justice

Corbyn urges public to ignore Vance's comments on Nowak killing

From RTÉ News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged people to disregard US Vice President JD Vance's comments on the death of Henry Nowak.
  • Corbyn stated that people should instead listen to Henry Nowak's father's calls for calm and respect for his son's life.
  • The comments follow violent clashes in the UK over the killing of Nowak, with Vance making controversial remarks on social media.

Former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the public to ignore comments made by US Vice President JD Vance regarding the death of 18-year-old Henry Nowak. Speaking in Dublin at the Robert Tressell festival, Corbyn urged listeners to instead heed the calls for calm from Nowak's father, Mark Nowak.

What happened to Henry Nowak was appalling and tragic, by all accounts a decent young man causing no trouble to anybody is wantonly stabbed to death.

— Jeremy CorbynSpeaking about the death of Henry Nowak.

Corbyn's remarks come after a week of violent clashes in the UK between English nationalists and police. These clashes were sparked by the December 2025 stabbing of Mr. Nowak in Southampton by Vickrum Digwa, who claimed to be a victim of a racist attack. Police, however, arrived after the incident, handcuffed Nowak, and reportedly did not believe he had been stabbed.

The police response is to make a totally wrong judgement and fail to protect him when he needed protection.

— Jeremy CorbynCommenting on the police's actions after Henry Nowak was stabbed.

JD Vance had posted on social media that "Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit." A UK government spokesperson denounced Vance's comments, viewing them as an attempt to "interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets."

The idea JD Vance or the far-right British politicians would take advantage is absolutely appalling.

— Jeremy CorbynReacting to JD Vance's comments on the case.

However, Mr. Corbyn dismissed Vance's remarks, stating, "The idea JD Vance or the far-right British politicians would take advantage is absolutely appalling." He emphasized that people should listen to Henry Nowak's father, who he said "didn't want this, he didn't want the far-right division and racism." Corbyn concluded by saying, "So, I would respectfully say to JD Vance, we don't need your comments, all we need now is respect for the Nowak family and a very full investigation into why the police behaved the way they did."

I think people should listen to Henry Nowak's dad, he didn't want this, he didn't want the far-right division and racism.

— Jeremy CorbynAdvocating for listening to the victim's father.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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