The father of Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar has spoken of his relief as a judge-led public inquiry was announced into the June 2023 killings.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar told GB News the announcement marked a crucial moment for the victims’ families.
“For us, we’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he said. “It was a moment we could exhale from literally having taken a long breath for the last 18 months.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced a public inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding the Nottingham attacks.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar spoke on GB News
GB NEWS / PA
The investigation will look into the deaths of Barnaby Webber, 19, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, and Ian Coates, 65.
The three victims were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane on 13 June 2023.
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The Prime Minister told the bereaved families the inquiry would begin “in a matter of weeks”.
The statutory inquiry will have powers to compel witnesses to give evidence about authorities’ failures in the case.
Dr Kumar welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to a judge-led investigation, describing it as containing “all of the magic words that we wanted to hear.”
The inquiry will enable families to question witnesses about previously unanswered concerns regarding the case.
Fathers of Nottingham attack victims join Martin Daubney on GB News
GB NEWS
“Everywhere that Valdo Calocane intersected with the authorities, we were failed,” Dr Kumar said.
Dr Kumar expressed particular gratitude for the Prime Minister’s apology regarding the authorities’ handling of the case.
“To hear the Prime Minister once apologising for those authorities and saying that he was sorry that we had been through this path,” he told GB News.
The announcement of a statutory public inquiry marked a significant breakthrough for the families seeking answers.
“It’s going to be judge-led and it is going to have powers to put witnesses in front of us to answer the questions that have remained unanswered for us so far,” Dr Kumar added.
Calocane was sentenced to a hospital order in January 2024 following the attacks.
The case has already prompted multiple reviews, including an investigation into the mental health care he received before the killings.
The newly announced judge-led inquiry will now provide a comprehensive examination of all aspects surrounding the tragic events.
