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Over thirty families affected by homicide have jointly appealed to the government to halt the early release of individuals convicted of any type of manslaughter, a measure intended to alleviate overcrowding in prisons across England and Wales. In a letter addressed to Justice Secretary Alex Norris, these families voiced their concern that victims appear to be “bearing the consequences of the prison capacity crisis.” Among those signing the letter is Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby fell victim to a fatal stabbing during the Nottingham attacks in 2023. The perpetrator, Valdo Calocane, was found guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.
Calocane’s crimes were particularly tragic; on 13 June 2023, he fatally stabbed Barnaby Webber and two others, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, on the streets of Nottingham. He then used Coates’s van to injure three additional people. Calocane pled guilty to three counts of manslaughter and three counts of attempted murder under the diminished responsibility defense and was later sentenced in January 2024 to an indefinite hospital order. In response to incidents like this and similar cases, the Prime Minister has signaled intentions to revise the early release policy to prevent killers convicted of unlawful act manslaughter—such as those responsible for the death of PC Andrew Harper—from qualifying for early discharge.
The families emphasize that excluding only unlawful act manslaughter is insufficient, arguing that all manslaughter convictions should be removed from the scheme. They noted that many grave domestic homicides often result in voluntary manslaughter convictions, which makes it hard to reconcile the current policy with commitments to significantly reduce violence against women and girls. Their letter stressed the widespread feeling among bereaved families that justice is being compromised to manage pressure on the prison system, urging the government to extend exclusions to cover voluntary manslaughter as well.
Campaign groups and victims’ advocates have also voiced support for these changes. Frank Mullane, CEO of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, highlighted the united stance of bereaved families calling for a clear and consistent approach to homicide-related early release. Jo Early, CEO of Support after Murder and Manslaughter, expressed that while families appreciate the justice system’s challenges, justice for victims should never be diluted due to systemic pressures. Currently, around 5,000 prisoners are expected to be released early, a reduction from an initial 6,000 after exemptions were introduced. Justice officials have acknowledged the difficulties faced but asserted that exemptions will be applied to the most serious offenders, with further plans to present detailed reforms to Parliament in the near future
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