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Families and survivors affected by the Nottingham attacks of June 2023 have expressed a mix of emotions as a public inquiry into the tragic events is set to begin. Dr Sanjoy Kumar, whose 19-year-old daughter Grace O’Malley-Kumar was killed while trying to protect her friend Barnaby Webber, described feeling emotional when the government announced the inquiry. The pair were among those fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane as they walked home from a night out, an attack that also claimed the life of Ian Coates and seriously injured others.
The upcoming Nottingham Inquiry aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attacks, with a focus on the roles played by different agencies, including the NHS and police. Calocane, who had a history of mental health problems and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, is a central figure in the investigation. After psychiatric assessments, the Crown Prosecution Service accepted his manslaughter pleas on grounds of diminished responsibility, leading to a hospital order sentence in January 2024. The inquiry will challenge prior decisions linked to his care and monitoring and is scheduled to hold hearings over nine weeks in London.
Dr Kumar, who works as a GP, emphasized the importance of accountability and systemic reform to prevent similar tragedies. Reflecting on his motivation, he said, “She is the driving force behind everything that we do and everything that I do, and we will be relentless.” He stressed the need for full transparency from health and law enforcement bodies, asserting that “patients and relatives deserve transparency.” Alongside him, other family members like Emma Webber, Barnaby’s mother, have voiced their long-standing demand for the truth. Webber described the inquiry as a source of “validation” and expressed a determination to uncover “the proper truth, not just versions thereof.”
Survivors of the attacks, such as Wayne Birkett, who suffered serious injuries and memory loss after being struck by a van driven by Calocane, also face ongoing challenges. Despite the trauma, Birkett acknowledged the importance of the inquiry, stating he was “really nervous about
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