Dawn Sturgess

Dawn Sturgess was a 44-year-old British woman who tragically died in July 2018 after being exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. She was an innocent victim caught in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal. Sturgess unknowingly sprayed herself with the nerve agent, which had been smuggled into the UK by Russian agents. She is newsworthy now because a public inquiry has recently concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin bears "moral responsibility" for her death. The inquiry 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 strong criticism of the UK government, stating that lessons have not been learned from her death regarding public safety and the handling of such incidents. Her case highlights the dangers of state-sponsored assassination attempts and the devastating consequences for innocent civilians.