“Legally, Lucy Letby’s case is settled, but outside of the courtroom, scepticism about the evidence in her case has entered the mainstream, championed by a small but significant community of investigative journalists and medical experts.”
The case of Lucy Letby, a nurse convicted of the murders and attempted murders of newborn babies shocked the public and ignited debates surrounding trust in medical professionals. Her alleged actions, carried out under the guise of care within a neonatal unit, left an indelible mark on the healthcare system. Like anyone else that watched and read about the trial, I was horrified. It seemed incomprehensible that someone could do such a thing.
“Unmasking Lucy Letby” written by Jonathan Coffey and Judith Moritz, is a book that provides commentary and insight over her arrest, police interviews and her subsequent trial. Reading this book with an open mind, I would initially have said ‘guilty as charged’ by the end of chapter two. But once the deep dive into the science of the deaths, and the evidence that was presented at trial appears through the pages, now I’m not so sure!
Evidence presented at trial appeared to be largely circumstantial.
- Was Lucy on shift for these deaths? Yes.
- Was it considered that there may have been many other nurses and/or consultants on shift that were there at the times of the deaths? No, the focus was always aimed at Lucy.
- Was there consideration given to the fact that Lucy did a lot of extra shifts and was always helping fill the vacant shifts? No.
- Did anyone ever see Lucy commit these heinous crimes? No.
- Was Lucy’s DNA found anywhere that suggested that she committed these crimes? No.
This book is well researched, and consideration given to every aspect of the case. The “what if” questions are asked thoroughly throughout the text and are answered well. Theories are also given as to why Lucy may have committed these acts. Was she enjoying being the centre of attention when helping with caring for these babies? Did she enjoy the praise that was given to her by superiors? Was she jealous of new mothers as she was not yet one herself? There are too many what ifs and why’s.
But as someone who always reads with an open mind, I see many holes in the evidence. I see that while there is a possibility that Ms Letby may have committed some of these crimes, the evidence is not solid enough for me to instigate a ‘guilty as charged’ verdict. I see that while there is a possibility that she committed some of these crimes, I do not believe that she committed them all. There are too many unanswered questions.
Thank you, Jonathan, and Judith, for a thorough and impartial insight.
