Inspectors found the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) complied with the law when they accepted Valdo Calocane’s guilty plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility over the deaths of students Barnaby Webber, 19, Grace O’MalleyKumar, 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65.
But, in a report published yesterday, His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI) called for the government to consider reviewing how homicide is categorised and highlighted areas where the CPS could have handled the case “better”.
Reacting to the report, Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed in the attack, joined calls for an overhaul, adding that current laws mean that “murderers can get away with murder”.
She said: “We’re disappointed by not entirely surprised. What I would say is that at the moment in this country, if you commit murder and you’ve got mental health issues, then it’s very unlikely that you are going to be tried for murder and it’s abhorrent that it could be downgraded to manslaughter.”
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, the father of Grace, added: “I think the first question you have to ask… is: can a paranoid schizophrenic commit murder in this country? Because it seems to me that you can’t, and that’s impossible for us to understand.”
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin March 26, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin March 26, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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