The families of the victims of the 2023 Nottingham attacks have spoken of the widespread failures that led to their loved ones’ deaths, following the release of an independent review into their killer’s care. University students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates were fatally stabbed on the morning of 13th June 2023. Valdo Calocane was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, and was sentenced last year to an indefinite hospital order, after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00It's been a year and a half since Valdu Kalakain killed three people and attempted to kill
00:06three more in a space of attacks in Nottingham.
00:11University students Barnaby Weber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old caretaker
00:17Ian Coates were fatally stabbed on a June morning in 2023.
00:23Kalakain had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020.
00:28Last year, he was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter
00:33by diminished responsibility.
00:35Today, the families of the victims spoke of the widespread failures that led to their
00:41loved ones' deaths.
00:42The police, they failed us.
00:44The NHS, they failed us.
00:46The mental health of Nottinghamshire failed us.
00:48Like, who did we turn to?
00:50Barney, Grace and Ian would be here today if those concerned across those agencies had
00:57just done their jobs properly.
01:00An independent review published yesterday found that Kalakain was not forced to take
01:05prescribed anti-psychotic drugs because he did not like needles.
01:09Kalakain's care coordinator had a caseload above the recommended limit, staff would not
01:14visit Kalakain alone because of his violence and aggression, and he was discharged from
01:19mental health care without a face-to-face assessment.
01:23It is now confirmed by the Care Quality Commission, the Mental Health Trust, the NHS Homicide
01:31Review, that brother Kalakain was not a treatment-resistant schizophrenic.
01:39He simply failed to take his medication.
01:43A member of staff who worked at the trust which treated Kalakain says she was silenced
01:48when she tried to blow the whistle over safety concerns.
01:52I was ostracised and victimised by the organisation.
01:55I felt powerless.
01:57I felt pushed to the brink and I even considered taking my own life.
02:06If staff don't feel confident to speak up, it will definitely happen again.
02:10There will be another disaster at the trust.
02:13The NHS trust involved has expressed condolences to the victims.
02:17I want to be clear that my thoughts are with the families of Gracie and Barnaby who so
02:23sadly lost their lives.
02:24We are an organisation that accepts where we have made mistakes and where those missed
02:29opportunities are.
02:30We have changed how we discharge people with severe mental illness from our organisation.
02:36Things are very different than when Valdir Kalakain was discharged.
02:40Last year, Sir Keir Starmer promised a statutory public inquiry if Labour took office.
02:45The families will meet with the government next week to make sure that promise is kept.