Lucy Letby has been charged as part of a three-year investigation into the deaths of several infants at a hospital in northwestern England.
What We Know:
- Letby, 30, was a nurse at the neonatal unit of Countess of Chester Hospital. She was arrested twice in 2018 and 2019 in connection to the investigation but was released without further action.
- She has now been taken into custody again by Chester Police and faces eight counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. She appeared in virtual court Thursday.
- The investigation surrounded an unusually high number of deaths in the hospital’s neonatal unit from March 2015 to July 2016. Doctors initially thought the deaths were “unexplained” and “unexpected,” but further review noted several similarities in the deaths of the infants.
- Dr. Susan Gilby, chief executive of the hospital, released a statement saying the developments in the case were of “serious concern”. Letby had reportedly worked in the hospital’s neonatal unit since finishing her studies in 2011 and also trained there as a student nurse.
“We are fully supportive and respectful of the judicial processes, and as such will not be making any further comments at this stage . . . Our thoughts continue to be with all the families involved.” – Dr. Susan Gilby
The names of the eight victims were read out in court Thursday. Additional hearings proceeded on Friday afternoon.
