Dawn Sturgess

Dawn Sturgess was a 44-year-old British woman who tragically died in July 2018 after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok. She was an innocent victim caught in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Sturgess unknowingly sprayed herself with Novichok, which was contained in a discarded perfume bottle believed to have been used by Russian agents. She is newsworthy now because a recent public inquiry has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin bears "moral responsibility" for her death. The inquiry's findings have prompted the UK government to impose sanctions on Russia. Sturgess's family has expressed relief that she has been exonerated but also voiced concerns that the UK government has not learned sufficient lessons from the incident to prevent similar tragedies in the future, particularly regarding public safety measures.