Nottingham: 2 Students Killed in 2023 Attack to Be Awarded Posthumous Degrees
- The University of Nottingham has confirmed how two late students will be awarded their degrees
- One of the deceased's mothers emotionally recalled her child's passing and declined the invitation to personally represent him at the graduation
- CCTV footage captured the students' last moments while walking in the streets before the fatal attack
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Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Nottingham: The University of Nottingham will award posthumous degrees to two students who were tragically killed in a knife attack in June 2023.
Source: UGC
Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were stabbed to death by a man later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The attacker, according to the BBC, also fatally stabbed a 65-year-old caretaker during the same rampage before proceeding with the caretaker's vehicle to drive into three pedestrians.
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Webber was nearing the end of his first year when he was killed while walking home from a night out.
When will the deceased students graduate?
Webber, a former history student, and Grace, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Medical Science, will be conferred the degrees during the upcoming graduation ceremony on July 28.
A university spokesperson said they are working closely with the families to determine how best to honour the students’ memories.
"We will be awarding posthumous degrees to both Barney and Grace during this summer’s graduation ceremonies in July. We are working closely with their families to determine how they would like to mark this important milestone.
"We also recognise that it will be an emotional day for many of their classmates, who will be remembering their dear friends, Barney and Grace."
In addition to her posthumous undergraduate degree, the university confirmed that Grace will also be awarded a full medical degree in 2027.
Source: UGC
How did Webber's mother react?
Speaking on the family’s behalf, Emma Webber said the pain of attending the graduation ceremony in person would be unbearable.
Instead, close friends, Webber's younger brother, and his godmother will accept the degree on behalf of the family.
“There are things I can do and things I can’t. Attending the ceremony isn’t one of the things I can't do. I think it would break me,” she said. “But we believe it’s important that this moment is marked.
“What should have been a proud and joyful day for our family is, instead, another tragically sad one,” she added. “But we’ll use the day to remember Barney—his beaming smile—and his wonderful friend Grace. We want to honour their lives, not the monster who took them.”
The Standard reported that the suspect admitted to three counts of murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.
CCTV footage captured their final moments on the streets before they were fatally attacked.
Woman who survived accident elated as she graduates
Elsewhere, TikToker Mish, dressed in graduation robes and seated in a wheelchair, shared her emotional journey from a vibrant student to a paraplegic survivor.
A devastating accident left her with a broken spine and leg, changing the course of her life and turning her into a spinal injury survivor.
She reflected on how she began school full of life, never imagining the challenges ahead. Despite the trauma, she completed her studies, determined to rise above her pain.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
