In a surprising turn of events, former nurse Lucy Letby will not face any additional criminal charges related to the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced that the “evidential test was not met” in the nine cases it reviewed, despite Cheshire Police’s belief that they had sufficient evidence for charging decisions.
Letby is currently serving a 15 whole-life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more between June 2015 and June 2016. The CPS’s decision not to pursue further charges has been met with disappointment by the police force, who had submitted the evidence for the CPS’s consideration.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, stated that the organisation had “thoroughly reviewed” the evidence provided by Cheshire Constabulary before concluding that no criminal charges should be brought. The CPS considered offences of murder and attempted murder in respect of two infants who died and seven who survived.
Cheshire Police, however, remains “confident” that it had enough evidence to support the additional charges. In a statement, the force expressed its respect for the CPS’s decision, while acknowledging that “some will feel this is news worth celebrating.” The police urged the public to “respect the privacy and feelings of the families involved.”
The announcement does not affect or undermine Letby’s existing convictions, which followed “an extensive investigation and two criminal trials, including one of the longest-running murder trials in British criminal history and two unsuccessful appeals.” Cheshire Police also stated that the decision has no impact on its separate investigation, Operation Duet, into corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
The case continues to spark controversy, with a group of campaigners submitting reports to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in an effort to have Letby’s convictions overturned. Barrister Mark McDonald, representing the former nurse, has maintained that Letby “has always maintained her innocence” and that “a young innocent woman is in prison for crimes she has not committed.”
Conservative MP David Davis, who is backing Letby’s bid for freedom, welcomed the CPS’s decision and called for the CCRC to “conclude its review quickly and refer the case to the Court of Appeal.” The ongoing legal battle surrounding Letby’s case continues to divide public opinion and raise questions about the integrity of the judicial process.
