A confidential report into an alleged racist incident at Nottingham Castle has been seen by Nottinghamshire Live after more than a year of controversy. The report notes that several staff said they needed more training in handling such incidents, but casts doubt on claims that Nottingham Castle employees were not sympathetic to the alleged victims.
Panya Banjoko, who curated an exhibition at the attraction, said her two grandchildren were the victims of a hate incident in the castle grounds on August 17 last year. Ms Banjoko said that she had spent the afternoon there with her four grandchildren and her daughter as they saw the exhibition she curated, entitled "Don't Blame the Blacks."
During that afternoon, a child was reported to have racially abused two of Ms Banjoko's grandchildren, then aged seven and 11. But Panya Banjoko says when she raised the incident with a member of the senior management team at Nottingham Castle, she was met with "aggressive" behaviour and "kettled" into a corner.
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A dispute followed between the two families involved and Nottinghamshire Police investigated the incident, although no further action was taken given that the accused child was below the age of criminal culpability. But the claims sparked two investigations into the way Nottingham Castle handled the incident and several protests have been held at the attraction about it.
One of them was an independent investigation carried out by HR group The People Factor. That report found "staff of Nottingham Castle failed to enact the safeguarding procedures" on its website and advised that "lessons learned from this incident are translated into an appropriate action plan."
An earlier investigation by the Charity Commission for England and Wales found no evidence of wrongdoing by trustees at the Nottingham Castle Trust, which manages the landmark. Despite a summary of the Charity Commission report being shared at the time of its conclusion in January, it has never been fully published.
Nottinghamshire Live has now seen the full internal investigation report, which summarises interviews with nine witnesses to the alleged racial incident. The most senior person on site on the day of the incident is referred to as Witness A, and the report says of their experience: "Witness A stated that Panya shouted at her about the family involved in the incident... in that they should have been stopped leaving Nottingham Castle, as they were involved in an incident in the playground where her granddaughter had been 'racially abused'.
"As Panya and her daughter were shouting at her, Witness A asked her 'not to be so aggressive'. This comment resulted in Panya's temper increasing and it commenced both Panya and her daughter questioning Witness A (whilst filming her) about Nottingham Castle's Safeguarding Policy."
Despite noting Panya's temper, the report also notes that many staff at the castle on the day felt they needed more training. It says: "Witness A admitted that she felt out of her depth when being asked such questions and stated she felt she would benefit from Race Relations training."
The report also interviewed a security officer at Nottingham Castle who the report notes "has not received any training on conflict situations or on equality and diversity." The report notes of a third staff member that they had "not read the Safeguarding Policy and believes she would benefit from some training in crisis handling.
"She also feels there is a need for extra staff with appropriate skills to patrol the castle." But in terms of Ms Banjoko's claims about a lack of support from Nottingham Castle staff, the report notes one employee as feeling "she could do nothing but show empathy and apologise for what had happened to both families."
It also notes the most senior person on site, Witness A, called Nottinghamshire Police on behalf of Ms Banjoko, whilst another staff member took one of her granddaughters safely back to her family after she had gone elsewhere in the castle grounds. The report says one staff member saw Ms Banjoko following the other family involved and, referring to their granddaughter who was described as being "distressed", shouted 'don't let her leave'.
But reacting to the sharing of the full report, Panya Banjoko says it contains several "inaccuracies and untruths." She said: "I am disappointed that the report has been published in this way, without my consent, and before I have had the opportunity to meet with the castle. I have not yet had an opportunity to comment on the report which did not include any statement from me or the other adult present with me on the day.
"If the castle had responded with diplomacy and speed this matter could have been concluded a year ago. The report is a one-sided account and contains many inaccuracies and untruths that I have still to discuss with the castle.
"That this matter has not been dealt with sensitively highlights the difficulty for black people in gaining justice and getting their voice heard. I urge the castle to meet with me so that this matter can be concluded."
The report says Ms Banjoko was invited to participate in the investigation but did not do so. Nottingham Castle says it has offered to meet with Panya Banjoko several times.
A spokesperson for Nottingham Castle said: "The independent investigation into a complaint from 2021 produced a confidential report that was shared with the complainants. The findings were summarised for the press as soon as they were available.
"The Trust has never been comfortable with commenting on or issuing information relating to an incident involving young children or exposing witnesses to public scrutiny and is disappointed that the information has been shared in this way." The chair of the Nottingham Castle Trust, Professor Ted Cantle CBE, announced earlier this month that he was leaving the group along with fellow trustee Richard Tressider, the former Business Editor of the Nottingham Post.
Nottingham Castle said at the time of the announcement that it had been focusing on finding new trustees as part of its "good governance and leadership succession planning." A spokesperson for the attraction thanked both of them for their contribution to Nottingham Castle.
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