A British court sentenced Lucy Letby, 33, to a life term without possibility of release, in one of the most notorious cases of infanticide in recent British history. The court found her guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others while she worked at a neonatal unit in northern England.
The case has shocked the UK, with the gravity of the crime only amplified by the trial’s three-year duration since Letby’s first arrest in 2018. Letby had been transferred to an administrative service at the hospital in 2016 due to the sharp increase in deaths and atrophies among patients on her watch.
The conviction follows the discovery of incriminating notes that Letby had allegedly written in her own hand as well as the evidence presented by prosecution in the lengthy trial that began in October 2020. It emerged that Letby had injected air into the bloodstreams of the babies, fed poisonous substances and tampered with their breathing tubes – all in an attempt to hide her crime. The prosecution described the nurse as a “cold, calculating, cruel and tenacious” individual who preyed on the vulnerabilities of sick babies and their distraught parents during her year of employment.
After 22 days of deliberation, Letby was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The victims’ families are still seeking closure, unable to fathom why this occurred and why it was not brought to justice sooner. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Letby’s refusal to attend the hearing, stating that “it is cowardly for those who commit such horrendous crimes not to face their victims.” For the newborns, their parents, and the affected families, this outcome is much too little too late, but ultimately justice has been served.
With information from AFP
1 thought on “British Nurse Sentenced To Life in Prison for Killing Seven Babies”