British Indian Student’s Parents Demand Inquiry After Nottingham Stabbings
GG News Bureau
London, 14th August. The parents of Grace O’Malley Kumar, a British Indian medical student killed alongside her friend Barnaby Webber in Nottingham last year, have called for a statutory public inquiry, asserting that the attack might have been prevented had the attacker’s mental health been managed properly.
Grace, 19, and Barnaby, also 19, were fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane, who had a history of mental health issues. According to a review by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the mental health services involved in Calocane’s care made significant errors and misjudgements.
Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, Grace’s father, expressed his belief to the BBC that the attack could have been averted if Calocane had received adequate treatment. “I think I can categorically say that if this man had been treated and had taken his treatment, this whole attack would have been avoided,” Dr. Kumar said.
The CQC report, commissioned by then-Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, criticized the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for failing to address Calocane’s symptoms of psychosis and medication issues effectively. The review found “a series of errors, omissions, and misjudgements” in Calocane’s care from May 2020 to September 2022.
In response, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the government and Attorney General were considering the best approach for setting up an inquiry. The victims’ families condemned the systemic failures and poor decision-making of the mental health services and police involved, demanding accountability.
Calocane, now in his 30s, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to a mental health order in January, detaining him in a high-security hospital. He also confessed to the murder of school caretaker Ian Coates.
A recent review into the sentencing of the case recommended the government consider re-categorizing homicide laws. The victims’ families remain committed to ensuring thorough accountability and system improvements to prevent similar tragedies.
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