A shocking development has emerged in the case of Lucy Letby, the UK’s worst child serial killer, who is serving 15 whole-life prison terms after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another seven. An international panel of experts has found no evidence that Letby had murdered or harmed any of the babies she was accused of attacking.
The panel, led by Dr. Shoo Lee, a retired Canadian neonatologist, concluded that the 17 newborns who were charged with being harmed had suffered from a catalogue of “bad medical care” or deteriorated due to natural causes at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England.
Letby’s new barrister, Mark McDonald, claims that the report by 14 leading experts is “overwhelming evidence that this conviction is unsafe”. The findings have been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is formally examining the case. If the court of appeal believes there is a real possibility of her convictions being quashed, Letby could be released from prison on bail.
The panel found numerous problems in the care of the babies, including a failure to properly carry out basic medical procedures, delays in treatment, and misdiagnosis of diseases. One example cited by Dr. Lee was that Child 1, who died due to thrombosis as a result of a delay in infusing him with medication.
The Crown Prosecution Service has stood by its case on Tuesday, but Letby’s legal team believes the report is “fresh evidence” that could potentially change her conviction. The senior Conservative MP David Davis described the case as one of the major injustices of modern times.
As the investigation into Lucy Letby’s case continues, it remains to be seen whether she will be released from prison on bail or have her convictions quashed.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/04/no-medical-evidence-to-support-lucy-letby-conviction-expert-panel-finds