Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, has stated that mental health organizations have not sufficiently addressed the risk of violence posed by a minority of people with severe mental illnesses. Hughes, who has led the charity for four years and worked in the sector for nearly four decades, explained that charities have avoided this conversation due to concerns that discussing violence could increase stigma and discrimination affecting people with mental health conditions.
Her comments precede the closure of a public inquiry examining the 13 June 2023 Nottingham attacks, in which three people were fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane, a 19-year-old diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Calocane was sentenced in 2024 to an indefinite hospital order after admitting three counts of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. The inquiry heard evidence regarding Calocane’s violent incidents prior to the attacks, his refusal to take medication, and his four sectioning orders within two years.
Hughes emphasized that while the majority of people with mental health conditions do not commit violent crimes, a minority do, with grave consequences. She noted that mental health charities must become more comfortable discussing violence risk while working to reduce stigma. The sector has historically softened messaging on this topic, she stated, resulting in important difficult conversations being overlooked. Mind recently held a roundtable with experts in Westminster to discuss how mental health services can better protect public and patient safety.
Seena Fazel, a professor of forensic psychiatry at Oxford University who attended the event, noted that while people with schizophrenia have elevated violence risk compared to the general population, the absolute risk remains small and can be reduced through available treatments. Emma Webber, mother of one victim, welcomed Hughes’s statement, stating that mental health organizations have not adequately acknowledged violence risks and that this conversation is necessary for public safety.
Hughes called for the UK government’s upcoming mental health strategy to improve support and treatment for those with severe mental illnesses while addressing public safety through adequate hospital beds, assertive outreach, and improved accountability and communication among services.
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