Family criticizes UK police for shoddy investigation into murder of British-Indian teen
The families of three persons, including a British-Indian student who was killed near the University of Nottingham in England in June 2023, have criticized the way the police handled the case. The family members blamed the police for not being able to prosecute the accused for murder.
Criticizing Nottinghamshire Police for “mismanagement”, the families, including the family of an Indian-origin student, said they would continue to raise concerns about the case and “will not be silenced”.
The victims, British-Indian Grace O’Malley-Kumar, her fellow student Barnaby Webber, both 19, and 65-year-old school caretaker, Ian Coates, were stabbed to death by Waldo Caloocan on June 13 near the University of Nottingham. , 2023.
“We will not remain silent. This behavior must be addressed, and immediate changes must be made because this should never happen again to other innocent families,” the families said in the statement released Monday.
The victims’ families also accused Nottinghamshire Police of “stifling” the media in an attempt to prevent details of the case’s failings from becoming public, the Shropshire Star news portal reported on Monday.
Caloocan was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after being convicted of murder by reason of diminished responsibility by Nottingham Crown Court and receiving an indefinite hospital order on 25 January rather than face trial for murder.
The families expressed surprise and anger at the verdict and said they had expected a murder trial.
Additionally, families criticized the police after details about the murder victims were shared on a WhatsApp group.
The families are demanding a public inquiry
In a joint statement, the families vowed to continue to raise “serious concerns” about the case.
He also mentioned in the statement that the police force held an off-the-record press briefing last week, where they told journalists they could not report the information discussed, reports the Shropshire Star. .
The families’ goal is to address perceived police mismanagement and prevent similar situations for other families. They have sent a detailed statement outlining their concerns and have contacted the Home Secretary, Opposition Leader and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for a meeting and public inquiry.
The families also met with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who promised them “we will get answers”.
The Attorney General, Victoria Prentice Casey MP, deemed Caloocan’s sentence “unduly lenient” and referred it to the Court of Appeal for possible revision.
The families await a response from the Home Secretary and hope that he will meet with the relevant authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and receive answers regarding the case and police conduct.