AFPImage of Letby’s 2018 arrest video
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 14:16
A 33-year-old nurse has been sentenced to life for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six other newborns at a hospital in the northwest of England. The babies died in 2015 and 2016.
It is a ‘whole life sentence’, which means that there is no chance that the woman will ever be released.
Nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty last week of the murders at Countess of Chester Hospital, in north-west England. The woman is also guilty of attempted murder of six other newborns, according to the court.
During the trial, the nurse denied all charges. She argues that the death of the newborn babies is due to hospital errors and staff shortages.
Lack of evidence
According to the British Public Prosecution Service, the nurse used various ways to injure babies in order to cover up her crimes. She allegedly poisoned some victims by injecting insulin or air.
During a house search, police officers found a note after her arrest. It read: “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to take care of them.” Another note read “I did this”.
The nurse was released after two previous arrests due to lack of evidence. In the fall of 2020, she was arrested for a third time.
British media previously reported that administrators at the hospital where she worked ignored warnings about her. The first five baby homicides took place in the summer and fall of 2015.
In early 2018, when the woman was still working at the hospital, it was discovered that one of the deceased babies had been poisoned with insulin. She was first arrested in 2018. In that year and in 2019, she was released on bail. In the fall of 2020, she was arrested for the third time.
Even more cases
Today the Guardian newspaper reports that Letby may have made dozens of other victims. According to a source with knowledge of the police investigation, there are 30 more cases involving babies who were victims of “suspicious” incidents at the hospital where she worked.
Letby was on duty when the unexplained incidents occurred. Police are also examining the medical records of babies born at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby also worked, the paper reports.
All 30 babies survived. These cases are in addition to the incidents dealt with in Letby’s 10-month trial.
