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Nottingham Attack Survivors Share Trauma Ahead of Public Inquiry

Sharon Miller and Wayne Birkett describe survivor’s guilt and life-altering injuries as they prepare to testify about systemic failures that enabled Valdo Calocane’s 2023 rampage.

Overview

  • Survivors Sharon Miller and Wayne Birkett gave their first interviews, recounting their physical and emotional trauma from the June 2023 Nottingham attacks.
  • Miller continues to undergo rehabilitation for severe injuries and uses a walking stick, while Birkett struggles with memory loss and has relearned basic skills after a traumatic brain injury.
  • Both survivors expressed profound survivor’s guilt, wishing they had been taken instead of the young students, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, who were killed.
  • The forthcoming judge-led public inquiry, chaired by Deborah Taylor, will examine systemic failures in mental health and policing that allowed Valdo Calocane, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, to carry out the attack.
  • The survivors emphasized the need for accountability and reforms to prevent similar tragedies, citing gaps in mental health follow-up and law enforcement response.