Prosecutors, police and medical professionals will be scrutinised by a two-year public inquiry into the fatal Nottingham attacks, the Government has announced.
Valdo Calocane killed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, before attempting to kill three other people in the city in June 2023.
The inquiry aims to report back within two years with recommendations to prevent similar incidents, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.
Witnesses from Nottinghamshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) could be compelled to give evidence, the Government said on Thursday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) previously prepared a report which concluded that officers failed to properly investigate an assault on warehouse workers by Calocane which could have stopped his murder spree a month later.
Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in January 2024 after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder – something which has been widely criticised by the victims’ families.
The MoJ said the management of Calocane’s risk to others in the lead-up to the attacks and public servants accessing information without authorisation will form part of the inquiry.
The victims’ families previously said claims that healthcare staff illegally accessed medical records belonging to their loved ones were “sickening” and “inexcusable”.
Three Nottinghamshire Police officers also faced disciplinary action for viewing material about the case without any legitimate reason, and there have been alleged data breaches by staff working for HM Prison and Probation Service and HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Emergency services staff who responded to the attacks will also be scrutinised by the inquiry as part of a “detailed examination” of events on the day of the killings.
Senior retired judge Deborah Taylor, who jailed former tennis star Boris Becker after he avoided paying his debts, will chair the inquiry.
Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood said: “The bereaved families and survivors of the Nottingham attacks, who have suffered so much, deserve to know how these horrific incidents were able to happen.
“I am pleased this inquiry is now under way and I know her honour Deborah Taylor will undertake a fearless and thorough examination of the facts to prevent tragedies like this happening again.”
