The decision to uphold the choice not to pursue further legal action against serial killer nurse Lucy Letby regarding allegations of harm to six additional babies has been confirmed. In January, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) determined that no new criminal charges would be brought against Letby for possible offenses of attempted murder and murder involving nine children, including two fatalities, due to not meeting the evidential test.
The CPS received a file from Cheshire Constabulary for review of allegations related to deaths and non-fatal incidents involving babies during Letby’s tenure at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital from 2012 to 2016. Following this, six families sought a review of the CPS’s decisions concerning their child under the Victims’ Right to Review scheme.
An exhaustive examination by an independent prosecutor was conducted, which upheld the decision not to press additional charges, as stated by Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS’s special crime division. The review encompassed the deaths and incidents involving babies at the mentioned hospitals. Despite the reevaluation of six attempted murder charges, the original choice to refrain from filing further criminal charges was maintained.
The families affected have been contacted by the Crown Prosecution Service and offered meetings to address any further inquiries. Letby, originally from Hereford, is currently serving 15 whole-life orders for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit. Requests for appeal against her convictions in 2024 were denied twice.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is assessing evidence presented by an international panel of medical professionals, suggesting poor medical care and natural causes as reasons for the baby incidents. A public inquiry, under the direction of Lady Justice Thirlwall, investigating how Letby could carry out her crimes, is set to release its findings later this year, with the exact date pending announcement.
