Families of Nottingham attack victims push for public inquiry
The father of a student from London, killed by a paranoid schizophrenic says he's still pushing for a public enquiry
19 year-old Grace O'Malley Kumar from Woodford Green was fatally stabbed in Nottingham in June along with fellow 19 year-old Barnaby Webber and 65 year old Ian Coates.
Last month their killer, Valdo Calocane was given an indefinite hospital order after pleading guilty to a charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Today the families met with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar said:
"We only have one motive and that one motive is that absolutely no other families with children or a father will have to go through the absolute hell that we have had to go through.
It's been so unfortunate that after losing our loved ones that we are in this position where we are having to defend the outcome. We would have loved to have drawn a line in the sand and take time to heal our families and have the healing process but we can't.
We don't see how this cannot result in a public inquiry, because the public need to be reassured. We've lost our loved ones and we need to protect the public and the government should do that.
This is an appalling place to be, the last place that we need to be."
Ahead of a meeting on Friday with the Care Quality Commission and the CPS Inspectorate, Barnaby Webber's mother Emma Webber said triple-killer Valdo Calocane's guilty pleas to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility felt "railroaded".
Ms Webber said the families did not meet with the CPS and the police with regards to the plea until November 24, shortly before Calocane's pre-trial hearing.
Speaking after the meeting with the CPS Barnaby's mum Emma said:
"We were very open and very transparent. I think we felt very rushed and so we wanted to make it clear that any inspections and reviews and if it results hopefully in a public inquiry, then we are in no rush because we just want the right answers and the proper investigation and a thorough one."
Ian Coates's son James said:
"These questions need to answered and they're investigating our concern like Emma has said we don't want to be rushed again, we can't bring our loved ones back, so we have all the time in the world now."
The Attorney General has ordered an independent review of the CPS's handling of the case.
The inspection, announced by Victoria Prentis, will look into the CPS's decision to accept Calocane's guilty pleas to manslaughter and whether it sufficiently consulted with the victims' families.
Last week, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had begun an investigation into the contact Leicestershire Police had with Calocane.
In a statement, the watchdog said it had launched an independent investigation after requesting further information from Leicestershire Police, following a referral from the force relating to inquiries into assaults Calocane is alleged to have committed in May last year.
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