Mother of Nottingham attacks victim brands BBC Panorama episode as ‘shameful’

By Naomi Clarke, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

The mother of one of triple killer Valdo Calocane’s victims has described a BBC Panorama episode about the Nottingham attacks as “shameful, cold, ill-judged”.

Emma Webber has criticised the programme which investigated the mental health background of her son Barnaby’s killer and asked “what lessons can be learned” from the attacks.

University students Barnaby and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, were stabbed to death by Calocane in Nottingham on June 13th 2023.

The Panorama episode which aired last month, titled The Nottingham Attacks: A Search For Answers, featured members of the Calocane family to help “shed light on the missed opportunities in his care”, according to the synopsis.

Barnaby’s mother Emma told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “We believe what the BBC produced is a very imbalanced documentary – it’s shameful, cold, ill-judged, arrogant and thoughtless.”

Relatives of the victims have made a formal complaint to the BBC about the Panorama episode as they believe it contains “inaccuracies, was too sympathetic towards the knifeman’s family and they were refused a preview screening”, according to the newspaper.

Ms Webber added: “We were not considered or consulted at any point to advise that this was being made.”

The families’ lawyer Neil Hudgell told the newspaper: “They were told as a ‘fait accompli’ when the piece was airing, they had no opportunity to be involved.

“Had they been consulted they could have pointed out some obvious factual errors.

“They believe they were excluded so the programme could promote the narrative that the Calocane family were victims too.

“They were not afforded an early viewing and were caused considerable additional anxiety in the run-up to it airing, having to speculate on what it may or may not cover. Their fears were confirmed.

“They have no interest in compensation, this is about proper accountability based on fair, proper and accurate reporting. It is about setting the record straight.”

Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order earlier this year.

He admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility after Nottingham Crown Court heard he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Relatives of Calocane’s victims reacted angrily to the sentencing after prosecutors decided not to pursue murder charges.

A BBC spokesperson said: “We have the deepest sympathy for the families, and the Panorama team has been extremely mindful of the sensitivities in handling this programme.

“They have been in contact with the bereaved families to tell them about the programme and to provide details of its editorial focus.

“This investigation, which is very much in the public interest, examines the decline in the mental health of Valdo Calocane and asks whether there were systemic failings in his interactions with mental health services in the three years leading up to the terrible events in Nottingham last year.

“The documentary has been produced in accordance with the BBC’s editorial guidelines.”

They added: “Any complaints will be looked at according to our complaints procedure.”