A public inquiry into how British nurse Lucy Letby was able to carry out the horrific murders of babies in her care should be put on hold, according to a lawyer representing hospital bosses. This comes after fresh evidence has emerged, raising serious doubts about her convictions.
Letby, now 35, was found guilty of killing seven babies and attempting to kill eight more during her time at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital (COCH) between June 2015 and June 2016. Her conviction made her the most notorious child killer in modern British history.
Despite several failed appeals, a group of medical experts has now come forward to challenge the evidence that secured her guilty verdicts, suggesting the babies’ deaths might not have been murdered at all.
Her legal team has taken the case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates possible miscarriages of justice, hoping to re-examine her convictions.
“There now appears to be a real likelihood that there are alternative explanations for these deaths and unexplained collapses, namely poor clinical management and care and natural causes,” said Kate Blackwell, lawyer for the senior hospital managers, in a statement submitted to the inquiry.
She urged that the inquiry be paused until Letby’s role in the deaths could be clarified.
“If there is evidence to indicate that there are alternative explanations, then it would be wrong for the inquiry to ignore it because it is inconvenient,” she added.
The inquiry’s chair, Kathryn Thirlwall, acknowledged these concerns on Monday and said she would consider arguments for and against pausing proceedings. The request for suspension has also been backed by a senior lawmaker and Letby’s own legal team.
Despite these doubts being raised, police continue their investigation into whether Letby was responsible for more deaths. Authorities have also expanded their inquiry into possible corporate manslaughter at COCH, looking beyond the hospital’s leadership to consider potential cases of gross negligence manslaughter by individuals.
Blackwell stated that while senior hospital managers accept they made mistakes, they “vociferously denied” claims that they knowingly shielded a murderer.
However, not everyone is convinced by this push for a pause. Peter Skelton, representing several families affected by the case, insisted that pressing ahead with the inquiry is the only fair and logical decision.
“What has been presented with great fanfare as new and incontrovertible evidence turns out to be old and full of analytical holes,” he told the inquiry.
With emotions running high and arguments on both sides intensifying, the fate of the inquiry now rests on whether this so-called new evidence holds any real weight.
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