Nottingham attack victim could get George Cross for dying trying to save friend
'Grace is never coming back to us, but we never want her to be forgotten.'
MPs and police officers are fighting to award Nottingham stabbing victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar the George Cross after she was killed trying to save her friend.
Grace, 19, was repeatedly stabbed by knifeman Valdo Calocane, 32, as she stood by her friend Barnaby Webber, also 19.
The pair had been walking home in the early hours of June 13, 2023, from an end of term party when they encountered Calocane.
Courts heard how instead of fleeing, Grace bravely tried to fend killer Calocane off in an effort to save Barnaby’s life.
These heroic actions have led MPs and senior cops to call for Grace to be begin the George Cross – the highest civilian honour for acts of ‘the greatest heroism or of the most courage in circumstances of extreme danger’.
Grace’s mum, Sinead O’Malley, told The Sun: ‘Grace is never coming back to us, but we never want her to be forgotten, and this would certainly make sure she is remembered for ever.
‘Our hope is it would help her be remembered as the wonderful person that she was, and not just for the horrendous fate she suffered.’
Her father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, added: ‘The bravery she showed was incredible for a young girl. The accolade would be an example to every other young person.
‘The foundation that we’ve set up for Grace — its motto is “Let’s be more like Grace”. The world, never mind just England, deserves people like Grace.’
Their call has been echoed by tory MPs David Morris and Marco Longhi.
Since its creation in 1940, the George Cross has been awarded 416 times – 401 to men, 12 to women and three times ‘collectively’.
The Nottingham stabbings saw both Grace and Barnaby killed, before Ian Coates, 65, a school caretaker, was also killed a short while later as he was making his way to work.
Ian’s son, Lee, said of his father: ‘He was a die-hard Forest fan and an avid fisherman. He used to take under-privileged kids fishing just to get away from crime. You genuinely couldn’t find a nicer guy.’
Killer Calocane will ‘very probably’ be detained in a high security hospital for the rest of his life, sentencing Judge Mr Justice Tanner said.
Last week, Grace’s mum slammed graphic police WhatsApp messages which claimed Barnaby, Grace and Ian were ‘properly butchered’.
Barnaby’s parents also reacted with disgust when they were made aware of the messages shared by police officers in the aftermath of the stabbings.
One officer messaged colleagues on a WhatsApp group, saying: ‘So 2 students on Ilkeston road have been proper butchered, 4 section [officers] turned up and tried to hold their inners in.
‘Suspects then made off and attacked a man in a car on magdala [road] and stabbed him to death.’
Another officer, PC Matt Gell, then shared the message outside of the police WhatsApp group with his wife and two friends.
Barnaby and Grace’s family only feel comfortable sharing the contents of the message now, two months after learning of it in February, because they were so disturbed by its contents.
Grace’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, said the message is ‘so disgusting’, adding: ‘Would anyone with a child, a mother, a relative use words like that?’
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