Families of Nottingham attack victims to hold memorial walk two years on
The relatives of 19-year-old students Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates will meet at St Paul's Church in Lenton Road at 11.30am on Friday before walking to the two locations of the attacks.
They say this is 'to show respect for the horror that their loved ones endured at the hands of this monster', to 'wish them peace for wherever they may now be' and 'mark the importance of their fight for justice'.
Mr Webber's mother Emma Webber said: 'We will lay flowers, with our love and memories of three wonderful human beings.'
The walk, which is set to last 90 minutes, is open to the public and participants will wear green and gold for the University of Nottingham, where Ms O'Malley-Kumar and Mr Webber were studying, and red for Mr Coates's beloved Nottingham Forest.
Valdo Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, killed them and attempted to kill three more people in Nottingham on June 13 2023.
He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in January 2024 after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder.
A February report into the care received by Calocane said he was not forced to have long-lasting antipsychotic medication because he did not like needles, and other patients at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust also went on to commit 'extremely serious' acts of violence.
Prosecutors, police and medical professionals will be scrutinised in a two-year inquiry, including the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Sharon Miller and Wayne Birkett, survivors of the attacks, said in a statement that a 'collective, united effort' is needed to improve the effectiveness of local public services and prevent future tragedies.
Their statement read: 'On this two-year anniversary, we remember those we lost and look to the future with hope – hope that lessons will be learned and meaningful change and action will follow.
'We are grateful to the bereaved families for inviting us to the memorial walk they have so thoughtfully arranged.'
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