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UK Inquiry into Dawn Sturgess's Novichok Death Begins; Putin Blamed for Attack

Oct 14, 2024, 09:49 AM

A public inquiry into the 2018 death of British woman Dawn Sturgess, who was fatally poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok, commenced on Monday at Salisbury Guildhall. Sturgess died after handling a perfume bottle containing Novichok, which had been left in a public place following the attempted assassination of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal earlier that year. The perfume bottle contained enough poison to kill thousands of people. The inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding her death, including the role of the Russian state in the poisoning and whether UK authorities, including MI5 and the police, took appropriate precautions to protect potential victims. The UK government believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the attack. Sturgess's family, who were not allowed to bury her body as they wished, seek to have her 'voice' heard during the proceedings. The inquiry aims to shed light on the events that led to Sturgess's death and the impact of the incident on international relations between the UK and Russia.