The family of a student tragically killed in the Nottingham attacks have criticised police for “lacking basic compassion” after they were not informed that a mentally ill man had become “fixated” on the case.
The man, who is reported to have a concerning history and links to the Government’s Prevent anti-extremism programme, is thought to have travelled to Somerset to try to make contact with the family of University of Nottingham undergraduate Barnaby Webber.
Barnaby, alongside 19-year-old student Grace O’Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Ian Coates, was fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, during the attacks in June 2023. Three other victims were injured after being struck by a stolen van.
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Barnaby’s mother, Emma Webber, issued a statement on Wednesday expressing that her family had been “left completely in the dark” regarding the man’s behaviour and had no chance to take precautions to protect themselves.
The Times reported that the individual also attended the GP surgery of Grace’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, yet police did not warn the bereaved families about being targeted. Instead, they reportedly downplayed the risks, suggesting the man was reaching out to “offer his help”.
Mrs Webber stated: “Today’s revelations are yet another devastating example of the incompetence and institutional failure that has come to define the response of Nottinghamshire Police and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to our family.
“We have been informed that a mentally ill man, fixated on the Nottingham attacks, with a history of concerning behaviour and links to Prevent, was able to travel to our hometown and actively seek out our family and those of other victims, yet we were kept completely unaware.
“No warning was given, no safeguarding advice was offered, and we had no opportunity to protect ourselves, our workplaces, or our son Charlie’s school.”
She continued: “For a family already enduring the unimaginable trauma of losing Barnaby to someone known to services for serious mental health issues and presenting risks that were repeatedly overlooked, this latest revelation is utterly chilling.
“The notion that yet another individual exhibiting similar warning signs could travel across the country seeking us out and potentially visiting places linked to our family and community without our knowledge is terrifying.
“Any parent would understand the fear upon learning, long after the event, that someone of concern may have been near your home, workplace, or child’s school.
“Most distressing is that this information was withheld not for days or weeks, but for many months.
“During that period, officials were reportedly discussing the matter internally, preparing profiles, and consulting lawyers, whilst the families most affected remained uninformed and vulnerable.”
On why the bereaved families were not informed, Mrs Webber added: “If legal and safeguarding duties exist to alert individuals to potential threats, why were these obligations not fulfilled in our case?
“This is more than a communication failure; it represents a lapse in basic safeguarding, compassion, and common sense.”
She criticised Nottinghamshire Police and the IOPC for seeming more preoccupied with managing procedures than protecting people, stating: “The public inquiry is currently examining how a dangerous individual was free before Barnaby, Grace, and Ian were killed.
“Now we uncover another troubling episode where warning signs were recognised, concerns noted, yet the victims' families were kept uninformed.
“We are weary of these repeated failures but will continue to demand answers.
“Victims and their families deserve honesty, transparency, and protection, all of which have been in short supply.”
Dr Kumar told The Times he was horrified to learn that the man, a patient at a mental health institution, was “known for violence, fixated on our case and seeking us out, yet we received no official warning”.
An IOPC spokesperson confirmed receipt of a complaint from Nottinghamshire Police regarding the alleged withholding of information about a potential witness who had tried to contact the victims' families.
They said: “We are currently assessing the referral to determine the appropriate next steps. In January 2025, we spoke to a potential witness as part of our investigation into the force’s interactions with Calocane prior to the attacks.
“It was initially unclear if Calocane was connected to the matters reported by the witness, and we assessed the information as not relevant to our inquiries.
“Nevertheless, we informed the police force so they could take necessary safeguarding measures.”
The IOPC acknowledged that the families should have been informed when the witness was interviewed and stated this had been addressed in a recent update.
A Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: “We received a complaint and referred the matter to the IOPC on 24 August. We await their response.
“Due to the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this stage but have kept the complainant informed throughout.”