Mental health organisations have “failed to acknowledge” the risk of violence from a minority of people with severe mental illnesses, the chief executive of Mind has said ahead of the closure of the inquiry into the Nottingham attacks. Dr Sarah Hughes, who has led mental health charity Mind for four years and has worked in the sector for almost four decades, said charities had shied away from addressing the risk of violence due to the fact it had increased the stigma and harassment around people with mental health conditions. The inquiry into the Nottingham attacks is examining the events leading up to 13 June 2023, when 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates, were fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane, who was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
In 2024, Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after admitting three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder. The public inquiry has heard evidence from various local authorities, including health professionals and police officers, as well as Calocane’s family, in order to assess the “events, acts and omissions” that led to the killings. The inquiry heard how Calocane had committed a string of violent incidents in the years before the attacks, repeatedly refused to take medication, and was sectioned four times in the space of two years.
During her evidence, Calocane’s mother described the mental health system as “so broken”. Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, Hughes said charities specialising in mental health had to become “more comfortable” with discussing the risk of violence that could exist from a minority of people with mental health illnesses. Hughes’s comments come after the charity Mind held a roundtable with experts in Westminster to discuss the role mental health services needed to play to keep the public and patients safe.
However, some do and the consequences are grave.” Hughes added: “My feeling is that we haven’t always been able to articulate the topic of violence and mental health well to the public and ultimately, we have softened the truth. Stigma and discrimination are incredibly harmful, however our efforts to reduce them have, at times, meant that some of the most difficult topics have been brushed under the carpet. That’s why it’s so important to bring together a wide range of experts and experiences to have an open and honest conversation.” Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed by Calocane, said she welcomed the statement by Hughes.
Webber said there had not been enough acknowledgment from mental health organisations of the risk of violence. Only a minority will commit a serious violent act,” he said. The important point is that treatments we already have, and which are widely available, can bring that risk down.” Hughes, who said she had experienced violence when she was a mental health practitioner from people experiencing psychosis, said many in the sector feared that addressing such issues could increase stigma and discrimination, and that could lead to dangerous health outcomes.
My view is that’s not the answer, but stigma creates a pathway to that as being the only solution to this problem.” Hughes said this meant the sector had “shied away” from difficult conversations around violence. This includes ensuring an adequate number of beds in hospitals, assertive outreach, and accountability and communication with services.
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