British authorities open inquiry into Dawn Sturgess Novichok death

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- British Home Secretary Priti Patel announced Thursday a public inquiry into the 2018 death of Dawn Sturgess, who died in 2018 after being poisoned by the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was the target of the attack but Sturgess, 44, and her partner Charley Rowley were poisoned after he found a fake perfume bottle that contained the poison. She later died but Rowley recovered.

"We are establishing an inquiry to ensure that all relevant evidence can be considered, with the hope that the family of Dawn Sturgess will get the answers they need and deserve," Patel said in a statement.

"As the sponsoring department, the Home Office will provide support and ensure that the inquiry has the resources that it needs, reporting to the Home Secretary. An inquiry allows consideration of material and hearings in closed proceedings."

The public inquiry presents another branch in the ongoing investigation into the poisoning of Skripal and his daughter in 2018, who both recovered from the attack. In September, British authorities announced they charged a third person in the poisonings.

In the 2018 incident, the victims were sickened by Novichok in Salisbury, Britain, in March and July of 2018. Skripal and his adult daughter Yulia were poisoned first, while former police officer Nick Bailey and Dawn Sturgess came into contact with the substance later.

Russia in the past has denied any responsibility in the attack.