Nottingham victims families tell us "real change" is needed now
Families of Nottingham attack victims say latest report highlights the need for promised Public Inquiry
The families of the three victims of the 2023 Nottingham attacks say they hope a Statutory Public Inquiry will examine and address not only ‘an appalling picture of failings’ – but also new questions over the evidence which led to killer Valdo Calocane being spared a prison sentence.
A report was published by NHS England earlier into the care and treatment received by killer Valdo Calocane in the years leading up to the attack - which revealed he was not forced to have anti-psychotic injections because of his fear of needles, and arrangements were made to ensure mental health staff didn't visit him alone.
The mother Barnaby Webber is calling it a "horror show" , adding that mental health teams missed opportunities because "they just didn't do their jobs properly".
Emma Webber urged the Prime Minister not to renege on the promise of a public inquiry following the report's publication, adding: "It has to have teeth - there's no point in doing it otherwise."
In January 2024, Calocane, who had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, denying murder.
Prosecutors at the time accepted the plea, and sentenced him to an indefinite hospital order.
The families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley Kumar and Ian Coates, say a report into the care and treatment received by killer Valdo Calocane shows he may have been "spared prison on the basis of incomplete evidence".
In a joint statement, the families said the independent review, showed the killer was "responsible for his actions and was allowed to make these decisions by his treating teams", and added that "when he came to court, we were told a very different story".
The report said Calocane was not forced to have long-lasting antipsychotic medication because he did not like needles.
The review also said other patients cared for by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust also committed "extremely serious" acts of violence including stabbings between 2019 and 2023.
The families statement says:
"This is now a matter which must now be dealt with as a matter of urgency."
"This latest report suggests the court may not have been given the full picture, potentially leading to an injustice of the highest order.
"He may have been spared prison on the basis of incomplete evidence.
"We have now seen report after report highlighting the failings of police forces and the health services.
"These repeated failings led to this man being in the community and able to take our loved ones from us, and now we see evidence that he may have been sentenced in court on the wrong basis."
NHS England commissioned Theemis Consulting to carry out an independent investigation into the care and treatment provided to Calocane by NHS services.
It detailed four hospital admissions between 2020 and 2022 and multiple contacts with community teams before he was discharged to his GP because of a lack of interaction with mental health services.
Investigators found that "the offer of care and treatment available for VC (Valdo Calocane) was not always sufficient to meet his needs" and this was "not unique" to his case.
Health officials have admitted it is "clear the system got it wrong".
The families' statement continued: "The picture presented to the court with regards to his mental capacity was very different to the one in the notes of those treating him.
"This was a man who actively avoided his medication and treatment, knowing when he didn't take his medication that he would become paranoid and violent.
"He was responsible for his actions and was allowed to make these decisions by his treating teams, but yet when he came to court, we were told a very different story.
"The court, the general public and us as families were all potentially misled, and this needs full scrutiny now, as we face the prospect of seeing him walk back into society again if he responds well to treatment in hospital, which again this report demonstrates he has always done in the past.
"If we don't act to make real change now, change which can prevent these horrific events in our society, then we will remain in the same situation we have for decades, reacting to tragic, avoidable loss of life, and making false promises that it won't happen again.
"There are similar incidents week after week and it has to stop.
"That is why the full statutory inquiry must now happen as soon as possible, not only examining what happened to our loved ones, but also the wider failings in the care, treatment and sectioning of those with mental illnesses, as we cannot keep allowing innocent people and communities to be left at risk."
Ifti Majid, chief executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We apologise unreservedly for the opportunities we missed in the care of Valdo Calocane and accept the Theemis report in its entirety including its findings and recommendations.
"We are making clear progress with a Trust-wide plan, which is already delivering key improvements in areas such as risk assessment and discharge processes.
"We are also improving the way we listen and engage with patients, families, our colleagues, and local partners - to make sure concerns are acted on as quickly as possible.
"I know that this will never undo the catastrophic damage caused by these events - when three lives were tragically lost, and others changed irreparably.
"But we will do everything possible to prevent similar incidents happening again and remain totally committed to improving services for the communities we serve."
Read more about the report here.
June 13th 2024 - one year on
Last year a vigil was held in the city to remember the 19 year olds Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and Barnaby Webber, as well as caretaker Ian Coates who was 65 years old.
A two minute silence was held at Nottingham University's Park Campus, followed by speeches from Vice Chancellor Professor Shearer West and the university Chaplain, Grant Walton.
Grace and Barney were students at there, having just completed their first year of studying when they were killed.
In the days and weeks that followed that attacks, vigils were held both in Old Market Square and at the University in memory of the victims, with thousands of people attending.
Flowers were also placed by fellow students and relatives in Ilkeston Road, where Barnaby and Grace were attacked.
Grace's father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, told the memorial service she had chosen "friendship over fear" and "fought valiantly" to protect her friend.
Pupils at Nottingham's Huntingdon Academy, where Nottingham Forest fan Mr Coates worked, were also invited to wear red to remember him.
In a joint statement issued before the service, relatives of all three victims said they would take time to remember "the souls of the three vibrant, caring, hard-working and much loved family members who are no longer here".