JUSTICE VOW
Heartbroken families of Nottingham attacks victims vow to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in their fight for justice
The victims’ families hit out at a series of 'missed opportunities' that could have prevented the deaths
RELATIVES of the Nottingham attacks victims have said they will leave “no stone unturned” in their fight for justice.
Students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, were all killed by Valdo Calocane last June.
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The 32-year-old was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after his paranoid schizophrenia meant he was allowed the lesser plea of manslaughter.
Ahead of the first anniversary of the killings, the victims’ families hit out at a series of “missed opportunities” that could have prevented the deaths.
In a new joint statement, the families said: "On June 13 2023 our lives changed forever.
"The brutal, calculated and unprovoked attack by Valdo Calocane took the lives of three innocent, decent and kind human beings; Barney Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates.
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“Three people who made a difference to this world and actively contributed to our society.
"This individual carefully planned his assault, stockpiled his weapons in advance and chose his victims.
“We recognise his diagnosis of mental illness, however maintain that he knew what he was doing, he knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway.
"And therefore he is a murderer.
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"It is because of a weak investigation and prosecution, over-reliance upon ‘expert’ doctors and archaic out of date laws that Calocane receives no punishment for his heinous acts.
"Today we will take time and pause to reflect upon that tragic day and remember the souls of the three vibrant, caring, hard-working and much loved family members who are no longer here.
"Today is not the day for fight. But tomorrow is.
“We continue in our dogged pursuit for appropriate justice, individual and organisational accountability and real lasting change to our society and laws that will provide more protection and public safety, appropriate punishment for crimes and proper support for victims and their families.
"As three families we stand united by grief and loss, but fuelled by our anger at the scale of failings, poor policing, weak prosecution, dereliction of duty in medical care and a series of catastrophic missed opportunities that would and should have stopped these entirely preventable deaths.
"No stone will be left unturned as we will continue for however long this may take."
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