Dawn Sturgess Inquiry: 'Putin Morally Responsible' for 'Reckless' Attack

Thursday, 4 December 2025 12:21

The public inquiry into the Novichok poisonings and the death of Dawn Sturgess has been sharing its findings today (4th December).

Ms Strugess died after coming into contact with Novichok in 2018, following the attack on Sergei Skripal, a Russian double agent, who was living in Salisbury.

The care she received from ambulance and hospital staff was "entirely appropriate", said Lord Anthony Hughes.

"I am sure that no medical treatment could in fact have saved her life," he added.

Dawn Sturgess died in Salisbury District Hospital on 8th July 2018, eight days after coming into contact with Novichok at her partner Charlie Rowley's flat in nearby Amesbury.

The poisoning of Dawn Sturgess by a Russian nerve agent in Salisbury in 2018 was "unsurvivable from a very early stage", the inquiry concluded.

The report concluded that everyone involved in the attempted assassination of the Skripals, including Putin, who authorised the attack, was 'morally responsible' for Ms Sturgess' death.

Other findings from the inquiry include:

Wiltshire Police or Counter Terror Policing were not aware that a former Skripal was living in Salisbury.
Dawn's partner, Charlie Rowley, found the contaminated bottle of perfume while "bin dipping" in bins behind shops.
Emergency services and agencies appeared not to be on the same page, with confusion around guidance.
The public was not warned not to pick up discarded items until a week after Dawn Sturgess’ death.

At the beginning of the inquiry, Dawn's mother, Caroline Sturgess, paid tribute to her daughter: “She was an intelligent, funny, extremely selfless and very kind person.

“She always cared deeply for her family and many friends that surrounded her. She did not judge a single person and strived to make others happy, even when she didn’t feel like smiling herself.

“Dawn was raised in a normal, loving, caring family in a village where most knew each other, and where the majority of our family still live today.”

The Russian government has consistently denied any involvement in the Salisbury poisonings.

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