Former Hospital Executives Seek Review of Inquiry into Letby Case

Former managers at a British hospital have called for an inquiry into Lucy Letby's convictions for murdering infants to be halted, suggesting new findings may alter the understanding of the tragic events.

Lawyers representing former senior executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northern England have formally requested that an inquiry into the murders committed by ex-nurse Lucy Letby be paused. This appeal comes in light of new evidence that they claim challenges her guilt in the deaths of several babies between 2015 and 2016. During a recent inquiry session, attorney Kate Blackwell articulated that this emerging evidence indicates that the infants’ deaths, originally deemed intentional killings, could have resulted from other factors such as inadequate medical care or natural causes.

Blackwell emphasized the need for the inquiry to fully consider these alternative explanations, arguing that proceeding without this evaluation undermines the inquiry's primary goal—understanding the full context of these cases. Letby, now 35, was convicted of murdering and attempting to murder multiple infants under her care in two trials held in 2023 and 2024, but she has consistently maintained her innocence. Following these convictions, a public inquiry was initiated to explore how such a situation could occur undetected for an extended period.

The inquiry has been conducted based on the presumption of Letby’s guilt; however, doubts regarding the legitimacy of her convictions have surfaced, notably after a comprehensive New Yorker article and critiques from various medical analysts. Just last month, a panel of neonatal specialists reported that their findings did not support the idea that Letby committed any criminal acts. Panel head Dr. Shoo Lee stated that the injuries and deaths were attributable to either natural causes or substandard medical practices rather than any malicious intent by Letby.