The poisoning incident involving Novichok in the city of Salisbury in south-west England during March 2018 was an unprecedented incident that reverberated globally. The intended victim, former Russian agent Sergei Skripal, recovered from an brazen effort to kill him, but an innocent British citizen, a woman named Dawn Sturgess, tragically died. An public investigation was held last year, probing the attack on the Skripals, the response of emergency services, and the fatal sequence of events that led to Sturgess's death. Below are some of the key questions it explored.
The Identity of Dawn Sturgess?
The victim, Dawn Sturgess was a 44-year-old woman with three children. On June 30, 2018, she and her partner, Charlie Rowley, fell ill at his home in Amesbury, Wiltshire. Sturgess died on 8 July, while Rowley survived but has suffered ill health since. Initially, police thought it might be a drugs overdose. Within days, it became clear they had been poisoned with the nerve agent novichok. Sturgess sprayed herself with the novichok thinking it was a fragrance. Rowley is thought to have found a container of novichok made to look like perfume and given it to his partner. The inquiry heard that Sturgess was an unintended casualty of an “illegal and outrageous international assassination attempt”.
What Was a Container of Novichok Doing in the English Countryside?
On March 4, 2018, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were attacked with Novichok at his home in Salisbury, not far from Amesbury. Skripal had been living quietly in a suburb after a spy exchange. Both fell seriously ill but managed to survive.
Why Were the Skripals Targeted?
The British authorities believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised the assassination attempt on Sergei Skripal. A suggested motive offered is that Skripal harboured secret information about the Russian president’s “criminal embezzlement” involving profits from metals production. There have also been suggestions that Skripal kept assisting intelligence services in the West after his supposed retirement from espionage. In the aftermath, the UK government ordered out 23 Russian diplomats.
What Form Did the Attack on Skripal Take?
British investigators believe a pair of operatives, using the names Petrov and Boshirov, smeared the nerve agent to the front-door handle of the Skripals’ house in the early afternoon on 4 March. When the Skripals left shortly afterwards to go out, they both came into contact with it.
What Happened With the Novichok Bottle Afterwards?
This remains a key unanswered question of the case. One suggestion is they may have used a small sealing device to repackage the bottle during a “missing 33 minutes” when they vanished from Salisbury CCTV and left it in a bin. Rowley stated he thought he found the bottle in June, a few days before giving it to Sturgess. However, investigators lean toward the idea he found it soon after the Skripal poisoning. Detectives found CCTV footage appearing to show Rowley searching bins in Salisbury on the day the Skripals fell ill. If this is accurate, Rowley had the bottle for over three months and even relocated while possessing it. Yet, police have not been able to rule out the possibility of a another vessel, which remains missing.
The Lethality of the Novichok?
The inquiry was told it was of exceptional potency and had the potential for mass casualties. A expert witness stated that a “minuscule” amount – comparable to a speck of salt – could have been fatal. After the poisonings, 87 people went to hospital worried about contamination. Several officers were affected, including Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey. Emergency services disposed of two dozen vehicles they believed were tainted by the poison.
Should More Have Been Done to Protect Sergei Skripal?
Sturgess’s family argues no. They contend that he was a blatant target for the Russian state but was provided with little protection in Salisbury. Skripal is reportedly declined security measures, including simple surveillance.
Could More Have Been Done to Protect the Public After the Attack?
Again, Sturgess’s family holds this view. No official alerts about handling suspicious items that may have contained the poison were issued after the initial attack. The former top medical advisor, Dame Sally Davies, claimed she had a “strong recollection” of warning people not to touch items near the scene in March 2018. However, there is no record of such a warning. A public warning was only given after Sturgess was poisoned.
What About the Performance of First Responders?
The assessment is mixed. There were many instances of great bravery by emergency personnel. However, local authorities has apologised for mistakenly labeling Sturgess as a drug user. Rowley had a history, but Sturgess did not.
Did Skripal Have Luck to Survive?
Absolutely. A first responder told the inquiry that he accidentally gave Skripal a specific antidote, a drug used for certain poisonings, after knocking over a drugs bag. This intervention may have saved Skripal’s life.
The Russian Stance
The Moscow's diplomatic mission has claimed there are numerous unresolved issues around the poisoning. It highlights claims that the Skripals' vehicle was spotted out on the morning in question and that their mobiles were turned off for a period of time. It also doubts the absence of cameras around the Skripal house. British investigators have stated there have been a multitude of false leads in the case.
