A former British neonatal nurse, Lucy Letby, may be charged in connection with further baby deaths after police submitted new evidence to prosecutors.
Cheshire Constabulary confirmed on Tuesday that it had handed over a full file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which will now decide whether to authorise additional charges against the former neonatal nurse.
Letby, 35, from Herefordshire, was convicted of the murders of seven infants and attempted murders of seven others between June 2015 and June 2016.
Letby came under investigation following a high number of unexpected infant deaths that occurred at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital three years after she began working there.
Letby already is serving a whole-life sentence after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
The fresh file reportedly relates to more than a dozen other infant deaths and collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby trained and also worked. She was previously questioned by detectives in connection with these incidents, which occurred between 2012 and 2016.
The CPS said it would carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any further criminal charges should be brought, stressing that any decision would be made independently and in accordance with its legal standards.
Meanwhile, the legitimacy of Letby’s original convictions is under increasing scrutiny. A group of leading medical experts has challenged the evidence used in her trial, concluding after reviewing hospital notes that no crimes were committed and that the deaths were likely due to natural causes or substandard medical care.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is currently assessing these claims. However, both the CPS and police have maintained that Letby was fairly convicted.
As part of the broader investigation, named Operation Hummingbird, detectives are also examining the role of others who worked at the hospitals during the relevant period. On Monday, three senior hospital staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The individuals whose names have not been released held leadership roles during the time of Letby’s crimes.
A CPS spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we have received a full file of evidence from Cheshire Constabulary asking us to consider further allegations relating to deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. We will now carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any further criminal charges should be brought.”
Cheshire Constabulary added “The file of evidence was submitted as part of our ongoing investigation into the neonatal units of both hospitals, under Operation Hummingbird.”
