Former executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital have petitioned for a suspension of the public inquiry into the alleged murders committed by Lucy Letby, a former neonatal nurse convicted of killing seven infants. The request follows the emergence of new evidence purported to undermine the claims of her guilt, with arguments presented before the inquiry on Tuesday by lawyer Kate Blackwell.
Blackwell asserts that recent findings indicate many of the infants who died or suffered sharp health declines in 2015 and 2016 were not intentionally harmed. Instead, she proposed that their tragic fates may be attributed to inadequate clinical management, additional medical complications, or natural causes. “We are now facing plausible alternative explanations for these deaths,” she argued, emphasizing that proceeding with the inquiry despite these revelations negates its fundamental aim to grasp the overall circumstances around the fatalities.
Lucy Letby, now 35, has continually proclaimed her innocence after being convicted in a 2023 and 2024 trial of multiple counts of murder and attempted murder concerning infants in her care. The inquiry, launched by the British health secretary following her conviction, aims to explore how such heinous acts went unaddressed for an extended period. Initial assumptions during the inquiry have leaned toward Letby’s guilt, though skepticism around her convictions has surfaced, beginning with a significant article in The New Yorker and subsequently echoed by various statisticians and medical specialists.
Last month, an independent panel of neonatal experts presented findings contradicting Letby's culpability, asserting that in all scrutinized cases, either natural causes or substandard medical practices were responsible for the tragic outcomes, as articulated by panel leader Dr. Shoo Lee at a press conference. This ongoing situation has reignited discussions surrounding medical accountability and the judicial review process in instances of suspected malpractice.
