LAUGHTER SILENCED… Henry Nowak’s laughter, captured in old videos, now echoes in a community left grieving. His sister’s TikTok tributes preserve the moments before his untimely death. Each video is a bittersweet glimpse of joy, love, and sibling connection. The simple phrase “Forever 18” resonates, showing how a life can leave an enduring mark. Thousands of viewers are reacting, leaving comments filled with heartbreak, anger, and empathy. Friends and strangers alike are remembering Henry as a vibrant young man whose life ended too soon. The tragedy has left a haunting question for everyone watching: what went wrong? 📌 Full story in the comments
“I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO HEAR YOUR LAUGH ONE MORE TIME…” A grieving sister has left thousands in tears after sharing heartbreaking TikTok tributes to her brother, Henry Nowak, using old videos of the pair singing, dancing, and laughing together before his tragic death. One phrase now haunting viewers across social media says everything: “Forever 18.”
Henry Nowak’s bereft older sister has shared a series of poignant tributes to her brother, including carefree footage of them dancing and singing together at home.
Olivia Nowak, 22, said her younger sibling will be ‘forever 18’, writing in a moving message online: ‘I will miss and love you forever.’
Henry was stabbed six times by weapons-obsessed Vickrum Digwa, 23, using an eight-inch ceremonial Sikh sword.
His treatment by police officers – who handcuffed him in his final moments as he repeatedly gasped ‘I can’t breathe’, after Digwa stabbed him and accused him of racism – has shocked Britain and the world.
Olivia created two TikTok tributes to her younger brother in the aftermath of his murder. Both have since gone viral following Digwa’s sentencing this week.
The first montage, made just ten days after Henry’s death in December 2025, is set to Coldplay’s hit Yellow.
The 53-second clip, captioned ‘forever 18 brother x’, shows a happy and enthusiastic young man full of life at the heart of his family.
Henry, one of four siblings, grew up in Essex before moving to Southampton for university, where he died. The teenager is seen dancing at home and at family events, including on the dancefloor at a wedding.
He is most often shown alongside his beloved sister Olivia, dancing together in the bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen of their family home in Chafford Hundred.
Olivia and Henry Nowak together on holiday, holding hands and smiling on a bridge in a tribute posted by the murder victim’s older sister
The siblings are shown having lots of fun together in the family home in Essex, often dancing around the rooms in footage shared by Olivia
Olivia said of her smiling brother in one TikTok montage: ‘I will miss and love you forever’
Olivia shared a number of portraits of her together with her younger brother
Olivia stood next to her father Mark during his extraordinary statement on the steps of Southampton Crown Court after Digwa was jailed for 21 years. She had looked at his killer directly in court and said: ‘I lost a part of myself when he died’
The pair also worked part-time at their local Morrisons, with Olivia sharing several clips of them in uniform enjoying light-hearted moments during their shifts.
In the weeks before Henry would have turned 19 in February this year, Olivia shared a further tribute featuring pictures of the two together, including one of them holding hands.
In another, he smiles broadly with his arm around his sister while on holiday.
She wrote: ‘Never felt pain like this. Forever my best friend. Fly high my angel brother.’
The gallery is set to Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars, a song about longing to speak to someone who is no longer there.
Olivia and Henry were clearly incredibly close.
At the end of Digwa’s trial, she outlined the profound shock and trauma of learning of her brother’s death, as well as the anguish surrounding his identification and funeral. She also spoke of facing milestones without him, including his birthday, Christmas and other family occasions.
Turning to face Digwa in the dock, Olivia said: ‘If you had known Henry, you would never have hurt him.’
Miss Nowak, who was 21 when her brother died, added: ‘My brother had my whole heart. He was a part of me, and I lost a part of myself when he died.’
Addressing her brother, she said: ‘The real pain is knowing that I’m going to miss you for longer than I got to enjoy life with you. My brother didn’t deserve to be forever 18.’
She continued: ‘My brother was my first best friend from the day he was born.’
A selfie of the siblings shared by Henry Nowak’s sister Olivia
Henry at the wheel of a convertible small car
Henry’s family today said: ‘We need to bring common sense back’ to how equality is treated under the law, a view echoed by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch after meeting them.
Ms Badenoch met the murdered student’s mother, father and stepfather, whose death has prompted accusations of ‘two-tier policing’. They also met the Prime Minister privately on Thursday.
An inquest into Henry’s death will examine whether police officers caused or contributed to it, a coroner has said.
Henry, a first-year student at the University of Southampton, was stabbed by Digwa, who falsely claimed he had been racially abused and attacked.
Hampshire Police Chief Constable Alexis Boon has apologised to Henry’s family for the student being handcuffed and arrested as he lay dying.
Digwa was jailed for life on Monday with a minimum term of 21 years after killing Henry.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police have faced intense scrutiny over their conduct, including handcuffing Henry and ignoring his repeated pleas that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.
The case is now under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Hampshire’s area coroner, Jason Pegg, told a court that the inquest at Winchester Coroner’s Court would consider whether police actions may have ‘caused or contributed to’ Mr Nowak’s death.