- More than 250 survivors of the 2017 Manchester attack are suing British secret service MI5.
- An intelligence report previously revealed the failures of the intelligence agency that otherwise could have stopped the suicide bomber.
- Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, has apologized to victims for the wrongdoing.
In 2017, 22 people were killed in a suicide attack at a concert hall in Manchester, England. More than 100 people were injured, many of them children and youths. Seven years on, more than 250 survivors of Ariana Grande's suicide attack have now taken legal action against MI5, the British domestic secret service.
Lawyers from three law firms said on Sunday they had filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of more than 250 clients in Britain's investigative powers court. They could not provide further details as it is an ongoing legal matter.
He reacted very slowly
Britain's MI5 failed to act quickly on key information and missed a key opportunity to prevent the bombing – Britain's deadliest terror attack in recent years – an official inquiry concluded last year.
The would-be assassin was of interest to MI5 officers in 2014, but his case was dropped shortly after as he was deemed low risk. The accused died in the blast.
MI5 chief apologises
The report found that one MI5 officer eventually admitted to treating information about the killer as a potential national security problem, but did not quickly discuss it with his colleagues.
Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, said in a rare televised statement that he “deeply regrets” his agency's failure to prevent the attack.
“Wannabe pop culture fanatic. Zombie advocate. Entrepreneur. Internet evangelist. Alcohol fanatic. Typical travel buff.”
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