{"id":231543,"date":"2025-02-04T12:30:11","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T12:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/04\/medical-experts-raise-grave-doubts-over-conviction-of-killer-nurse-lucy-letby\/"},"modified":"2025-02-04T12:30:12","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T12:30:12","slug":"medical-experts-raise-grave-doubts-over-conviction-of-killer-nurse-lucy-letby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/04\/medical-experts-raise-grave-doubts-over-conviction-of-killer-nurse-lucy-letby\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Experts Raise Grave Doubts Over Conviction of \u2018Killer Nurse\u2019 Lucy Letby"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/02\/04\/multimedia\/04uk-letby-clpz\/04uk-letby-clpz-facebookJumbo.jpg?ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Medical Experts Raise Grave Doubts Over Conviction of \u2018Killer Nurse\u2019 Lucy Letby\" title=\"Medical Experts Raise Grave Doubts Over Conviction of \u2018Killer Nurse\u2019 Lucy Letby\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-0\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">An international panel of 14 neonatal and pediatric specialists on Tuesday raised grave doubts about the evidence used to convict the British nurse Lucy Letby, who was found guilty in 2023 of murdering seven babies at the hospital where she worked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In a dramatic news conference in London, the chair of the panel, Dr. Shoo Lee, a Canadian neonatologist, said that the extensive independent review he chaired had found no evidence that Ms. Letby had murdered or attempted to murder any of the babies in her care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He also highlighted damning findings pointing to serious errors in medical care at the unit where the deaths occurred and to chronic failings in the management of neonatal conditions. He said that some of the deaths had been preventable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cOur conclusion was there was no medical evidence to support malfeasance causing injury in any of the 17 cases in the trial,\u201d Dr. Lee said. \u201cIn summary, ladies and gentlemen, we did not find any murders.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-1\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The review is significant because it was carried out by some of the most prestigious and respected neonatal and pediatric specialists in the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The experts were allowed to assess all of the available medical records related to the babies, and they delivered their assessment pro bono. The panel underlined the serious pre-existing conditions of some of the babies, and in several cases, the specialists found significant errors in the treatment or care of the infants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ms. Letby, 35, was sentenced to a whole life order in 2023 \u2014 meaning that she would spend the rest of her life in prison \u2014 after being convicted of killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwestern England in 2015 and 2016. She has always maintained her innocence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-2\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The case horrified Britain, but since her convictions, dozens of experts in neonatology and statistics have <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/10\/24\/world\/europe\/lucy-letby-uk-trial-questions.html\" title=\"\">raised questions about the evidence<\/a> and argued that there might have been a miscarriage of justice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-3\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Lee led the independent review of the babies\u2019 cases, which involved a panel of specialists from countries including Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United States.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">He emphasized the independence of the panel, noting that when the experts embarked on their investigation, they were clear that the report would be released whether the findings were favorable or unfavorable for Ms. Letby.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">They simply focused on coming up with an \u201cimpartial cause of death based on evidence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The review found that all the babies had died or been harmed either because of natural causes or because of errors in medical care.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Lee had coauthored an academic paper published in 1989 that looked into air embolisms in the bloodstreams of babies and noted that some showed signs of skin discoloration. That research was heavily relied on by Dr. Dewi Evans, the prosecution\u2019s lead expert witness in the Letby case. Dr. Evans argued in court that some of the babies who died or deteriorated had exhibited similar patterns on their skin.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">After the trial, Dr. Lee discovered that his research had been used to convict Ms. Letby. He agreed to give evidence in <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.judiciary.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/R-v-Letby-Final-Judgment-20240702.pdf\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ms. Letby\u2019s appeal<\/a>, telling a hearing that Dr. Evans had misinterpreted his findings and that none of the babies in the trial should have been diagnosed with air embolism. Ultimately, the appeal court decided that his evidence would not be heard, arguing that Ms. Letby\u2019s defense team should have called Dr. Lee in the original trial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-4\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The panel examined the case of each baby, and, during the briefing, highlighted a few of the cases and the panel\u2019s detailed findings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the case of \u201cBaby 1,\u201d who prosecutors alleged was killed by Ms. Letby by injecting air into the infant\u2019s veins, the panel determined the cause of death to be thrombosis from an existing issue.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Another child, identified by the panel as \u201cBaby 9,\u201d who the prosecution had argued had also died after Ms. Letby injected air, was found by the experts to have \u201cdied of respiratory complications\u201d caused by chronic lung disease, among other issues. The panel also found that the baby\u2019s death was likely preventable and described a number of errors in treatment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In the case of \u201cBaby 11,\u201d the prosecution had argued that Ms. Letby had deliberately dislodged a breathing tube. But the experts said that there was no evidence to support the claim that the tube had been dislodged. They argued instead that an initial attempt by a consultant doctor to resuscitate the baby had been \u201ctraumatic and poorly supervised,\u201d that the wrong equipment had been used and that the doctor \u201cdidn\u2019t understand the basics\u201d of how the equipment for mechanical ventilation worked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt was just that the consultant didn\u2019t know what he was doing,\u201d Dr. Lee said in summarizing the case.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-5\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Neena Modi, a member of the panel and a neonatology professor at Imperial College London, said there were \u201cvery plausible reasons for these babies\u2019 deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThere was a combination of babies being delivered in the wrong place, delayed diagnosis and inappropriate or absent treatment,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are clearly systemic factors at play that we have identified as well as individual factors that we have identified.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ms. Letby lost two separate attempts last year to appeal her convictions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In December, Ms. Letby\u2019s lawyer, Mark McDonald, said that he would <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/16\/world\/europe\/letby-murders-appeal.html\" title=\"\">ask the Court of Appeal to review<\/a> all of her convictions because Dr. Evans, the prosecution witness, had changed his mind about how three of the babies had died.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Dr. Evans has repeatedly stood by his evidence, and he <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.com\/uk\/crime\/article\/lucy-letby-news-evidence-latest-jrdcdfvsn\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">told The Times of London<\/a> this past weekend that he was \u201cvery concerned people are getting their facts wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The babies\u2019 cause of death has been called into question by experts before. In December, the defense team introduced evidence from two neonatologists, Dr. Neil Aiton and Dr. Svilena Dmitrova, who specialize in the care of premature babies. Those experts concluded that two babies whom Ms. Letby had been convicted of killing had not been well and had died for \u201cidentifiable medical reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"companionColumn-6\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The doctors, who consulted the medical records of the babies, found that one, identified as Baby C, died after problems with the placenta at the end of pregnancy. They concluded that another, Baby O, died as a result of issues related to resuscitation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. McDonald, the lawyer, said on Tuesday that he had applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which is responsible for investigating claims of miscarriages of justice. He also noted that he had shared the evidence with Ms. Letby, and, while he declined to share further details of her state of mind, he said, \u201cShe has hope, and that\u2019s all I can say.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The Criminal Cases Review Commission confirmed that it had <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/ccrc.gov.uk\/news\/lucy-letby-application-received-by-criminal-cases-review-commission\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">received a request to look at the case<\/a>, but it was unclear how long that would take.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWe are aware that there has been a great deal of speculation and commentary surrounding Lucy Letby\u2019s case, much of it from parties with only a partial view of the evidence,\u201d a spokesperson for the review body said, adding that the families affected by the events should be kept in mind.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It is not for the commission to \u201cdetermine innocence or guilt in a case,\u201d the spokesperson noted, \u201cthat\u2019s a matter for the courts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/04\/world\/europe\/lucy-letby-nurse-uk-appeal-evidence.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An international panel of 14 neonatal and pediatric specialists on Tuesday raised grave doubts about the evidence used to convict the British nurse Lucy Letby, who was found guilty in 2023 of murdering seven babies at the hospital where she worked. In a dramatic news conference in London, the chair of the panel, Dr. Shoo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":231544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2025\/02\/04\/multimedia\/04uk-letby-clpz\/04uk-letby-clpz-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2712,181042,19639,1200,6236,22440,84420,4713,2240,75164,58262,73,3253,1267,63169,4605],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231543"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231543"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":231545,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231543\/revisions\/231545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}