MPs have called for a review of Lucy Letby’s convictions following the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to close the remaining cases against her.
After a ten-year investigation, the CPS announced it would not pursue criminal charges relating to the deaths of two babies and the attempted murders of seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. The decision brings to an end the police investigation into the former neonatal nurse, which began in 2016.
The announcement has reignited calls for Letby’s case to be re-examined, amid growing concerns about how the original prosecution was conducted and how the evidence was presented to the jury. Her convictions are currently under review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice. The CRC said it would have continued its review even if new charges had been brought.
Sir David Davis MP welcomed the CPS decision not to pursue further charges, arguing that the evidence in the original trials failed to establish guilt. He said this was why Letby’s legal team had referred the case back to the CCRC, adding that the commission should complete its review swiftly and refer the matter to the Court of Appeal. He reiterated his long-held view that any retrial should take place as soon as possible.
Sir Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, also responded to the decision by renewing his call for an urgent reassessment of the case. He said he continued to believe that the original convictions require review.
Letby, now 36, was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. She is currently serving 15 whole-life prison sentences.
Frank Ferguson, head of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said prosecutors had concluded that the evidential threshold required to bring charges was not met in the outstanding cases. He stressed that the decision was taken independently, based solely on the evidence and in accordance with the CPS’s legal tests.
Cheshire Constabulary said the decision was not the outcome it had expected, stating that investigators had been confident there was sufficient evidence to submit to the CPS.
Both Cheshire police and the CPS continue to stand by the original convictions, noting that two separate juries found Letby guilty and that three Court of Appeal judges refused permission to appeal after reviewing the evidence.