Nottingham Attacks Families Condemn Promotion of Senior Police Officer Rob Griffin

The family of a student killed in the 2023 Nottingham attacks has strongly condemned Nottinghamshire Police for appointing the senior officer who led the original investigation to a permanent high-ranking role. Sanjoy Kumar, the father of victim Grace O'Malley-Kumar, publicly criticized the decision to make Rob Griffin the substantive deputy chief constable, arguing that the promotion rewards systemic failures.

Grace O'Malley-Kumar, along with fellow student Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates, was stabbed to death on 13 June 2023 by Valdo Calocane. The tragedy subsequently triggered a major public inquiry into the handling of the case and institutional failings by local agencies. Calocane had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, and Nottinghamshire Police previously faced intense scrutiny over missed opportunities to detain him after an arrest warrant was issued in September 2022.

Rob Griffin had served as temporary deputy chief constable starting in April 2025 before being appointed to the role substantively following a formal selection process that concluded in August 2026. Speaking to the BBC, Sanjoy Kumar called the appointment "completely wrong" and questioned the integrity of leadership selections within law enforcement.

Kumar raised multiple objections regarding Griffin's involvement in the aftermath of the killings and subsequent public inquiry. According to Kumar, Griffin initially intended to present a position that Nottinghamshire Police could not have done anything more to prevent the attacks—an assertion Kumar described as deeply offensive given that admissions were later made at the inquiry conceding that much more could have been done.

Furthermore, Kumar criticized the lack of communication from the force, stating that families were not informed about ongoing professional standards investigations. He argued that victims and the public expect senior police figures, particularly a deputy chief constable, to demonstrate complete candour and integrity, qualities he believes were missing in this instance.

Expressing profound frustration, Kumar stated that he intended to question the UK policing minister and the secretary of state responsible for policing about the appointment. He suggested that rewarding an officer connected to these controversies sends a damaging message to the public regarding accountability.

In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police outlined the structure of the appointment process. The force stated that the position was advertised on 6 July 2026 and finalized on 13 August 2026. According to the police, the selection procedure included an application form, an executive interview featuring two independent panel members, and a people panel comprising staff associations, support network representatives, and external stakeholders such as the Youth Commission and Independent Advisory Groups.

Relations between the victims' families and local law enforcement have remained deeply strained since the 2023 killings. Previous statements from family members, including Barnaby Webber's mother Emma Webber, have also targeted senior officials over accountability and the handling of the killer prior to the attacks. The ongoing scrutiny highlights enduring tensions as families continue to seek full transparency and accountability from institutions involved in the case.