Alleged data breaches by government agency staff into triple killer Valdo Calocane’s case have been branded “an utter disgrace” by the mother of one of the attacker’s victims.
University students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, were stabbed to death by Calocane in Nottingham on June 13 2023.
Emma Webber, Barnaby’s mother, shared a letter from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) notifying the family of its investigation into alleged data breaches relating to Calocane’s case.
Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar (Nottinghamshire Police/PA)
Police said the alleged suspects are staff members working for HM Prison and Probation Service and HM Courts and Tribunals Service, and believe they accessed case file material and images without authorisation.
It was also explained that while Nottinghamshire Police received the report of the alleged breaches, the force requested an unconnected policing unit to carry out the investigation.
Mrs Webber said: “So many individuals and organisations failed Barney, Grace and Ian. It’s an utter disgrace.
“Leicester and Nottingham police forces, the NHS, the CPS and now the wider courts and prison and probation service. When will it ever stop?
“I’d ask every single individual involved in any of these failings to pause and reflect upon what a difference their actions could have and likely would have made in preventing the murder of our loved ones at the hands of that monster had they just done their jobs properly.
“Shame on them.”
A statement on a behalf of the families of all of Calocane’s victims levelled similar criticism.
They said: “Once more we have been advised of probable failings and misconduct of individuals from the very agencies that should be there to protect us.
“The pain we continue to suffer from the utterly preventable and tragic loss of our loved ones has been made so much harder to bear by these continuing revelations. We dread to think what else is still to be uncovered.
Valdo Calocane (Nottinghamshire Police/PA)
“We need the truth and full candour from organisations and individuals about all of the grievous errors, failings and misconduct that has happened.
“Generic and pointless ‘apologies and lessons to be learnt’ will fall on deaf ears. Without accountability, and serious action, things will never change.”
They added that they are waiting for confirmation from the Government that the promised public inquiry will be a statutory, judge-led one.
Sussex Police has been contacted for comment.
Calocane, who also injured three others in the stabbing spree last summer, was sentenced to a hospital order in January after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder.