Mental health organisations have “failed to acknowledge” the risk of violence from a minority of people with severe mental illnesses, according to Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind. Speaking ahead of the closure of the inquiry into the Nottingham attacks, Hughes stated that charities had shied away from addressing the issue due to the fact it had increased the stigma and harassment around people with mental health conditions.
The Inquiry into the Nottingham Attacks and Valdo Calocane
The public inquiry 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. According to evidence presented to the inquiry, 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. Celeste Calocane, the mother of Valdo Calocane, described the mental health system as “so broken” during her evidence to the inquiry.
Charity Sector Narrative and Public Safety
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. Her 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. “We, as a charity sector, have failed to acknowledge that violence does happen in some circumstances,” Hughes said. She added that while stigma and discrimination are incredibly harmful, efforts to reduce them have, at times, meant that some of the most difficult topics have been brushed under the carpet.
Did you know? According to Seena Fazel, a professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Oxford, people with schizophrenia do have an elevated risk of violence compared with the general population, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors, but the absolute risk is small. Only a minority will commit a serious violent act, and that risk increases when other factors are present, particularly drug or alcohol problems, a history of violence, or having been a victim of violence themselves.
Victim Families and Psychiatric Experts Respond
Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed by Calocane, welcomed the statement by Hughes. “I do feel like danger to others has been almost deliberately quietened down in the conversation in the past,” she said. Webber noted that had the risks in Calocane’s case been understood, then she genuinely believed they wouldn’t be having this conversation today. Seena Fazel, a professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Oxford who attended the event by Mind, noted that the important point is that treatments we already have, and which are widely available, can bring that risk down.
Future Strategy and Balancing Care
Mind is set to introduce its mental health strategy, which will call for better support and treatment for those with severe mental illnesses, as well as address matters of public safety. Hughes stated that this includes ensuring an adequate number of beds in hospitals, assertive outreach, and accountability and communication with services. “Both are possible if we want to change our mental health system so people can get the right care before or after reaching crisis point,” Hughes added.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the recent statements from Mind regarding mental health and violence?
The statements were made by Mind chief executive Dr Sarah Hughes ahead of the closure of the inquiry into the Nottingham attacks.
What does research show about the link between severe mental illness and violence?
According to Seena Fazel, a professor of forensic psychiatry at the University of Oxford who attended the event by Mind, people with schizophrenia do have an elevated risk of violence compared with the general population, even after accounting for socioeconomic factors, but the absolute risk is small and only a minority will commit a serious violent act.
How are victim families responding to the charity sector’s shift in conversation?
Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed by Calocane, welcomed the statement by Hughes, stating that danger to others had been almost deliberately quietened down in the conversation in the past.
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