Nottingham Attacks: Valdo Calocane Victim's Mother Alleges "Catastrophic Collapse of Responsibility"
Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, who was murdered alongside Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates by Valdo Calocane, has publicly criticised the findings of a 14-week public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks. Speaking on Monday following the inquiry's conclusion, Ms Webber described the process as "brutal, bruising and harrowing" but "very necessary."
Calocane, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, carried out the fatal stabbings on 13 June 2023, also attempting to kill three others. He is currently serving an indefinite hospital order after admitting to three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.
Ms Webber asserted that the tragedy was not a matter of "bad luck" but rather a "catastrophic collapse of responsibility" and an "undoubted miscarriage of justice that must now be addressed." She criticised a culture of "cover-up over candour" among institutions involved.
The Nottingham Inquiry, which heard evidence from 23 February until last week, exposed multiple systemic failures within authorities, including the NHS and police, both before and after the attacks. The bereaved families have consistently maintained that the attacks were avoidable and have expressed dissatisfaction with Calocane's sentence.
James Coates, son of victim Ian Coates, articulated the families' initial "delusional" belief that justice would be served, noting that organisations had "closed ranks" and "marked their own homework." He called for the inquiry to be a "true reckoning."
The inquiry also revealed instances of inappropriate access to records by staff from Nottinghamshire Police and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. In May, the NHS Trust confirmed the dismissal of 11 staff members for improperly accessing medical records, with 12 others receiving final written warnings.
Closing statements from core participants are scheduled for September, with the inquiry chair, retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC, expected to release a report with recommendations next year. Ms Webber emphasised that action should not be delayed, stating, "Excuses stop here and accountability starts today."
