Mental health professionals reportedly considered research on the over-representation of young Black men in custody when deciding not to detain Valdo Calocane, the perpetrator of the Nottingham triple murder, following a violent incident in 2020. Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, fatally stabbed three people and injured others in June 2023. He was later sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.
A public inquiry is now assessing the actions and omissions that allowed Calocane to remain free. During the inquiry's first day, it was revealed that Calocane was arrested in May 2020 for damaging property. A mental health assessment identified his first episode of psychosis. While a doctor initially leaned towards sectioning him, a team ultimately decided a community treatment plan was a safe alternative, partly due to concerns about racial bias in detention.
Calocane agreed to home treatment and medication. Despite his mother's concerns and subsequent incidents, including another arrest and hospital admission, he was discharged from hospital multiple times. Reports indicate a series of errors and misjudgments in his care. Calocane repeatedly misled healthcare professionals about his mental health and medication. The families of the victims are seeking accountability for systemic neglect by mental health services, law enforcement, and judicial bodies.