Families of six infants who allegedly suffered harm attributed to Lucy Letby have had their bid for the serial killer nurse to face additional charges denied. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed this week that its original decision not to pursue further accusations, involving nine babies where two died, has been upheld following an independent review.
In January, the CPS had decided against bringing new charges due to insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. Families of six of the affected babies requested a reconsideration under the Victims' Right to Review scheme. Malcolm McHaffie, Head of the CPS's Special Crime Division, stated that an extensive review, involving a prosecutor independent of the original decisions and a re-examination of substantial evidence, was completed. This review upheld the initial decision not to bring further criminal charges concerning six alleged offenses of attempted murder.
The CPS has communicated the outcome to the families involved and will offer meetings to address any questions. Letby is currently serving a whole life sentence for the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Her methods included injecting air into bloodstreams, force-feeding milk, insulin poisoning, and tampering with breathing tubes.
Following her convictions in 2023 and 2024, detectives committed to investigating the full scope of her four-year nursing career. The potential new charges stemmed from a police examination of medical records for approximately 4,000 infants Letby cared for at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital, where she trained. A file of evidence was passed to prosecutors in July, alleging harm to more patients. However, in January, the CPS deemed the evidence insufficient for a realistic prospect of conviction.
Concerns about the safety of Letby's original convictions have been raised, with her defense team and some campaigners asserting she is a victim of a miscarriage of justice. Earlier this year, a source suggested that public discussion surrounding the case may have influenced the CPS's decision. Letby maintains her innocence, and two applications for leave to appeal her convictions have been refused. Her legal team has presented reports from international experts casting doubt on the jury's verdicts, suggesting that natural causes or inadequate care, rather than Letby's actions, led to infant deaths and collapses. These findings have been submitted to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which is examining whether her case warrants a further appeal.