British authorities open inquiry into Dawn Sturgess Novichok death
British Home Secretary Priti Patel announced Thursday a
public inquiry into the 2018 death of Dawn Sturgess, who died in 2018 after
being poisoned by the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was the target of the
attack but Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charley Rowley were poisoned after he
found a fake perfume bottle that contained the poison. She later died but
Rowley recovered.
"We are establishing an inquiry to ensure that all
relevant evidence can be considered, with the hope that the family of Dawn
Sturgess will get the answers they need and deserve," Patel said in a
statement.
"As the sponsoring department, the Home Office will
provide support and ensure that the inquiry has the resources that it needs,
reporting to the Home Secretary. An inquiry allows consideration of material
and hearings in closed proceedings."
The public inquiry presents another branch in the ongoing
investigation into the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter in 2018, who both
recovered from the attack. In September, British authorities announced they
charged a third person in the poisonings.
In the 2018 incident, the victims were sickened by Novichok
in Salisbury, Britain, in March and July of 2018. Skripal and his adult
daughter Yulia were poisoned first, while former police officer Nick Bailey and
Dawn Sturgess came into contact with the substance later.
Russia in the past has denied any responsibility in the
attack.
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