As a public inquiry into the killings by Valdo Calocane approaches its closing submissions, the mother of one victim has voiced her anxieties about the emotional toll the conclusion of the investigation will have on her family.
Sinead O'Malley, mother of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, one of the three victims, stated that the family anticipates a period of profound grief and potential emotional collapse once the ongoing inquiry concludes and the public attention wanes. "I think when the public inquiry is over, when these constant revelations start to die down... I think that's when we will potentially really crumble," she said.
O'Malley described the inquiry process as "harrowing" and "heartbreaking," noting that witnessing a series of failures has eroded her faith. She added that grieving for her daughter feels like "just the beginning."
Alongside Grace's father, Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, and other affected families, O'Malley has been advocating for changes to prevent future tragedies. The families have been striving to establish a legacy for Grace, aiming to make the world and the country safer. However, O'Malley indicated that they have not yet been able to resume normal life.
"That's when you really feel your profound loss, it's when life gets back to normal - and it's just not normal at the moment - or when it tries to get back to a new normality without your daughter," she explained.
The inquiry is examining the circumstances surrounding the fatal attacks in Nottingham, which claimed the lives of university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and school caretaker Ian Coates, in June 2023. Calocane was sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act after admitting manslaughter and attempted murder.