Families may be barred from a meeting. Police handling of Valdo Calocane case is the matter being discussed.
The meeting follows an IOPC report, which found police failed to investigate Calocane properly. This failure might have prevented the Nottingham attacks, which occurred weeks after the Kegworth incident on Friday, May 5, 2023.
The families strongly criticized the police and the IOPC, calling them “not fit for purpose” in a statement. They may only view the meeting remotely, and officers’ identities could be withheld. The families cited unhappiness with the report’s quality as a reason.
The report indicated that an officer failed to check Calocane’s records, which showed an arrest warrant and violence history. Additionally, CCTV footage disappeared, and Romanian victims only received Google Translate, not interpreters.
Families feel let down again, especially since they signed a non-disclosure agreement months ago. They asked why they are excluded again, particularly after a Nottingham officer was publicly named last January, making this exclusion feel unfair.
Leicestershire Police stated that the meeting will happen this month, and David Sandall mentioned that attendance is being discussed. He clarified that the chair decides the final arrangements, and this decision will occur before the meeting.
Sandall expressed condolences to the families and affirmed their full support for the investigation. He also noted that the meeting isn’t open publicly due to Police Conduct Regulations, which differ from gross misconduct hearings.
Police didn’t answer questions about an internal review, but restated they analyzed the IOPC report’s findings. They emphasized that they carefully considered all directions suggested, avoiding a direct answer to the specific question.
An IOPC spokesperson stated they shared the report with all parties, including the families of the victims. They will publish the report after proceedings conclude, but cannot comment more at this time.