Families of Lucy Letby victims hit out at calls to suspend public inquiry
Families of the victims of convicted child serial killer Lucy Letby have hit out at calls for the public inquiry into her crimes to be suspended.
They have also dismissed as “deception” Letby’s claims to have new evidence of her innocence.
Senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where nurse Letby killed seven babies and attempted to kill seven more, have added their voices to her call for Lady Justice Thirlwall’s inquiry to be paused.
In a submission to the inquiry, they wrote: “There now appears to be a real likelihood that there are alternative explanations for these deaths and unexplained collapses, namely poor clinical management and care and natural causes.”
Their barrister Kate Blackwell KC told the inquiry there is “a real possibility” Letby’s convictions may return to the Court of Appeal “and there be quashed”.
Continuing with the inquiry, she said, could potentially lead to unfairness.
Families criticise senior managers’ move
On Monday, Letby’s solicitors had written to the inquiry claiming that its final report – due to be published in the autumn – would “not only be redundant but likely unreliable” unless it was stopped pending the outcome of her battle to clear her name.
But in their own statement to the inquiry, a group of families of the babies attacked by Letby criticised the move by the senior managers.
“Their lack of insight into their own mistakes is both remarkable and shameful,” the group said.
They added: “Throughout the hearings, they consistently sought to defend their actions and to deflect blame on to others.
“And they are now attempting, opportunistically, to suspend the inquiry’s work pending Letby’s third attempt to appeal her convictions.”
They described that as “a bold and misguided move”.
“From the families’ perspective, the only fair and sensible course is for you to complete your work and submit your report based on the established facts,” they added.
Police bodycam footage of the arrest of Letby. Pic: Cheshire Constabulary/PA
Inquiry’s scope
The inquiry was set up to examine how Letby was able to attack babies and the wider culture within the NHS.
It is not examining any questions of Letby’s guilt or innocence. She is currently serving 15 whole life terms in prison.
Last month, an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists, assembled by Letby’s defence team, said bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths attributed to Letby on the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016.
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Why do medical experts think Lucy Letby is innocent?
Those findings will be passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and Letby’s legal team hope her case will eventually be referred back to the Court of Appeal after two previous failed bids.
But at the inquiry, Peter Skelton KC, on behalf of one group of victims’ families, was damning of the defence team’s efforts.
“Cursory analysis of the report published by those experts identifies multiple problems with their analysis. What has been presented with great fanfare as new and incontrovertible evidence turns out to be old and full of analytical holes,” he said.
He added that the hypotheses had been advanced based on “fragile towers of speculation”.
Read more:
Why are there calls to suspend Letby inquiry
How police caught killer nurse
‘It’s not new evidence’, says group of families of babies
In a submission to the inquiry, another group of families of babies, said: “The key deception in Letby’s approach in holding press conferences is that she can present evidence without that risk that it will be analysed, challenged or questioned.
“It permits her to control the narrative without having to explain why she chose not to call that evidence at trial.
“It is not new evidence but rather a re-hash of evidence that was available to her at her trial and which she could have called in her defence.”
Richard Baker KC, on behalf of those families, told the inquiry: “We cannot let the noise in the background stop the work that this inquiry can achieve.”
Cheshire Police say an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the hospital has now been widened to include gross negligence manslaughter with several individuals notified of the investigation.
A separate police investigation into deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital during Letby’s time as a nurse between 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing.
A British grandmother has died after contracting rabies from a “slight scratch” from a puppy during a holiday in Morocco, her family has said.
Yvonne Ford’s daughter said she travelled to the North African country in February but did not become ill until two weeks ago.
Robyn Thomson said in a Facebook post: “Our family is still processing this unimaginable loss, but we are choosing to speak up in the hope of preventing this from happening to others.
“She was scratched very slightly by a puppy in Morocco in February. At the time, she did not think any harm would come of it and didn’t think much of it.
“Two weeks ago she became ill, starting with a headache and resulted in her losing her ability to walk, talk, sleep, swallow. Resulting in her passing.”
Yvonne Ford went to Morocco in February, her family said. Pic: Facebook
Ms Ford, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was diagnosed with the virus at Barnsley Hospital.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said health workers and close contacts were being assessed and offered vaccination when necessary.
It said there was no risk to the wider public because there is no evidence rabies can be transmitted between people.
What is rabies and how is it treated?
Rabies is caused by a virus invading the central nervous system.
It is spread by mammals – such as cats, dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes – but in the UK it’s only found in some bats, according to the NHS.
Once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The first symptoms can mirror a flu, while later symptoms include numbness or tingling in the affected area, hallucinations, anxiety, difficulty swallowing or breathing, nausea, vomiting, agitation, excessive saliva and paralysis.
But if seen to promptly after a bite, scratch or lick by an animal that may carry the virus, treatment is usually very effective at preventing the condition.
Treatment usually involves two or more doses of the rabies vaccine or a medicine called rabies immunoglobulin, which is a liquid administered to the wound and is only required if the patient has not had the rabies vaccine or has a weakened immune system.
The rabies vaccine is recommended if you’re travelling to a part of the world where rabies is more common.
Around 60,000 people die every year from rabies worldwide, with the majority in Africa and Asia, according to the WHO.
Read more about rabies, and how to avoid getting it, here.
Dr Katherine Russell at the UKHSA said: “I would like to extend my condolences to this individual’s family at this time.
“If you are bitten, scratched or licked by an animal in a country where rabies is found then you should wash the wound or site of exposure with plenty of soap and water and seek medical advice without delay in order to get post-exposure treatment to prevent rabies.”
The UKHSA urges travellers to rabies-affected countries, for example in Asia and Africa, to avoid contact with dogs, cats and other animals wherever possible and check whether a vaccination is needed before travelling.
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There have been six cases of human rabies associated with animal exposure abroad that have been reported in the UK between 2000 and 2024.
This includes a case in 2012, when a UK resident died after being bitten by a dog – the most common source of infection in most parts of the world – in South Asia.
The latest case was in 2018, when another Briton died after being bitten by a cat in Morocco.
Latest World Health Organisation figures show a number of deaths from rabies in Morocco have been reported every year from 2010 to 2022.
Rabies does not circulate in either wild or domestic animals in the UK, although some species of bats can carry a rabies-like virus. No human cases of rabies acquired in the UK from animals other than bats have been reported since 1902.
The grieving mother of a Scottish teenager who vanished for almost five weeks has told Sky News she believes a “third party” was involved in her son’s death – but police say there’s “no evidence” of that.
Cole Cooper, 19, was discovered dead in woods near Falkirk earlier this month following a missing persons inquiry his relatives don’t believe was taken seriously enough by police.
He was last seen on CCTV in May after leaving a house party, but police later revealed a former school friend had spoken to Cole a few days later nearby.
Speaking exclusively to Sky News, his mother Wendy Stewart, 42, revealed her son had “various arguments” in the days and hours before he disappeared.
Cole’s mum Wendy (L) and his aunt Aimee
In an emotional interview, she said: “He was only 19, he should never have been taken. I am never going to see him again. I never got a chance to give him a last cuddle and hold his hand.
“Someone has taken that away from me far too soon. Whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, I do believe there has been some involvement by a third party and the result is the death of Cole.”
The family, who organised a local vigil in Cole’s memory last weekend, have vowed to get “justice”.
Asked what that means, Ms Stewart told Sky News: “Finding the culprit and getting justice that way. Finding the person that is responsible for the death of my child.”
Police previously said 400 residents were spoken to during door-to-door enquiries and more than 2,000 hours of CCTV footage was collected.
The 19-year-old’s death is being treated as “unexplained”, with a top police officer saying “at this time there is no evidence of any third party involvement”.
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A vigil was held in Banknock for Cole Cooper. Pic: PA
Cole’s aunt Aimee Tennie, 32, revealed the family’s anger over the police handling of the case as they attempt to find out what happened.
She said: “We are aware of small details surrounding the weekend leading up to it with arguments. He had a few arguments over that weekend. We want the details re-examined thoroughly.”
Sky News put all of the family’s concerns and allegations to Police Scotland.
The force initially swerved our questions and responded saying: “Enquiries remain ongoing.”
In an update later on Wednesday morning, Detective Chief Inspector Bob Williamson said: “We are carrying out significant enquiries into Cole’s death, however, at this time there is no evidence of any third party involvement.
“It is vital that we establish the full circumstances leading up to Cole’s death so that we can provide some answers to his family.
“The thoughts of everyone involved in this investigation are very much with his family and friends and officers will continue to offer them support and keep them informed as our enquiries progress.”
Ms Stewart claimed the probe has been handled “shockingly” with a failure to take her son’s disappearance seriously.
The 42-year-old said: “I have had to scream and shout from rooftops to be heard by the police. I don’t think they have handled it well.
“The police really need to take accountability and listen to families, they are reporting a missing child and understand the family knows their child best.”
Cole’s loved ones still have not been told when his body will be released to allow them to lay him to rest.
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