Families of six babies lose bid to challenge Letby ruling

The families of babies said to have been harmed by Lucy Letby have failed to overturn a decision not to bring new charges against the former nurse.

In January the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) declined to charge the convicted serial killer with further counts of murder and attempted murder relating to nine babies - including two who died - saying the evidential test "was not met".

After that decision, the families of six of the nine babies involved challenged the decision via the Victims' Right to Review scheme.

The CPS confirmed that despite an "extensive" review involving an independent prosecutor, the original decision had been upheld.

Letby, now 36, was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others - including attacking one on two occasions - at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

After she was sentenced to 15 whole life terms in 2024, Cheshire Police announced it was examining earlier non-fatal collapses and deaths of babies in Chester and also at Liverpool Women's Hospital, where Letby had trained, going back to 2012.

Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS special crime division said: "An extensive review of the case by a prosecutor independent of the original decisions, involving a re-examination of substantial evidence and material, has now been completed.

"Six offences of attempted murder were reconsidered in relation to six babies, but the review upheld the original decision not to bring any further criminal charges.

"The Crown Prosecution Service has written to the families involved and will offer meetings to answer any further questions."

Letby was twice denied permission to appeal against her convictions in 2024.

However, the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence presented on her behalf by an international panel of medical professionals, who said poor medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the babies collapsing.

A public inquiry led by Lady Justice Thirlwall into how the neonatal nurse was able to commit her crimes is due to publish its findings later this year, on a date yet to be announced.

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