Notts knife attack victim's mum slams ‘shameful' BBC for failing to apologise for chat with killer's family
BEEB 'SNUB' Notts knife attack victim's mum slams 'shameful' BBC for failing to apologise for chat with killer's family
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A NOTTINGHAM knife victim's mum says it is 'shameful' BBC's Panorama has still not apologised ten months after airing interviews with the killer's family.
Emma Webber told of her 'unimaginable horror' at being given two weeks' notice of the show.
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Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, has still not relieved an apology from the BBC
Credit: The Times
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Barney Webber was murdered by Valdo Calocane in Nottingham in June 2023
Credit: PA
The families were not offered the chance to contribute and said editors' responses to complaints were 'dismissive'.
The BBC's complaints unit later said it would get a response within 35 days.
But six months on, the families have had nothing — so have gone to boss Tim Davie.
Emma said: 'It's exhausting, draining and shameful we have to escalate our concerns to the very top to get a response.'
The families complained that Panorama's The Nottingham Attacks: A Search for Answers contained 'serious inaccuracies and omissions'.
They also said the report — about Calocane's NHS mental health treatment — was sympathetic to the killer's family, who were featured.
The BBC yesterday apologised for the delay.
Calocane killed Emma's student son Barnaby, his pal Grace O'Malley- Kumar plus school caretaker Ian Coates in 2023.
The schizophrenic got a hospital order for manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
The 11 deadly blunders that left Valdo Calocane free to kill as Nottingham victims' parents say cops have blood on hands
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Calocane's family were interviewed for Panorama's The Nottingham Attacks: A Search for Answers
Credit: PA
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Grace O'Malley- Kumar was killed by Calocane while out with Webber
Credit: PA
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The big questions the government needs to answer over Palestine Action
On March 31 1990, Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest Margaret Thatcher's poll tax. Windows were smashed and premises were set alight. 339 people were arrested. That is thought to be the record number arrested at a single protest in the UK – until last Saturday. The demonstration at the weekend was a very different affair. While six people were arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers, the overwhelming majority – 522 – were arrested for holding up placards reading 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action'. As of last month, Palestine Action (PA) is officially considered a terrorist group by the British government. The direct action network, which targets businesses and factories in a bid to draw attention to Israel's actions in Palestine, was proscribed by Parliament on the same day as the Russian Imperial Movement and the Maniacs Murder Cult. Speaking to the media today, a government spokesperson suggested some of those arrested on Saturday might not be aware of how the organisation they were supporting operates in real life. Asked if Keir Starmer thinks the demonstrators – average age 54 – are terrorists or supporters of a terrorist group, the spokesperson said: 'We've said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation.' He added that the assessments made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre were 'very clear', and PA is a 'violent organisation' that has committed 'violent, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage'. Hello, I'm Craig Munro and I'm Metro's man in Westminster. Every Wednesday, I write our Alright, Gov? newsletter with insights from behind the scenes in the Houses of Parliament – and how the decisions made there will end up affecting you. Last week we had a look inside Labour's split on trans women – and answered a question from a reader about if Sir Keir Starmer is likely to suspend more MPs in the future. Click here to sign up If the government believes people attended Saturday's protest without understanding who they were supporting, that means one of two things. Either they don't realise the extent of the crimes committed by PA, or they know about the crimes but don't believe they should be considered terrorism. If it's the first, ministers might need to work on publicising what exactly the group has done – and maybe even figure out a way to make public some of the details Home Office Minister Alex Davies-Jones said the government 'cannot disclose because of national security' in an LBC interview today. If it's the second, ministers might need to clearly explain to the public why PA's acts have passed the legal threshold for terrorism. 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When announcing the proscription, the Home Office pointed to three 'attacks' carried out by PA: one in 2022 at the Thales defence factory in Glasgow, and two last year at Instro Precision in Kent and Elbit Systems UK in Bristol. The incident at Thales 'caused over £1 million worth of damage to parts essential for submarines', the department said, adding: 'Staff fled for safety as pyrotechnics and smoke bombs were thrown in evacuation areas.' A few days before the announcement, two activists from the group also broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged a pair of aircraft with red paint. Outlining the reasons for proscription to the House of Commons the following day, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Palestine Action's attacks are not victimless crimes. 'Employees have experienced physical violence, intimidation and harassment, and they have been prevented from entering their place of work. 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