A panel of 14 international medical experts has strongly disputed the evidence used to convict British nurse Lucy Letby of murdering seven newborns and attempting to kill seven others, leading to renewed calls for a review of her conviction. The panel, chaired by Dr. Shoo Lee, concluded that the infants either died from natural causes or due to poor medical care, stating at a press conference, “In summary then, ladies and gentlemen, we did not find any murders,” as reported by AP News.

Letby, who is serving multiple life sentences after her conviction for the murders that occurred between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has denied all charges. Her legal team, led by Mark McDonald, has argued that there is now overwhelming evidence suggesting that she was wrongfully convicted and added that the medical evidence presented during her trial was critically flawed. The panel indicates that many of the deaths attributed to Letby resulted from systemic issues within the hospital, including lack of staff and mismanagement.

Dr. Lee, a retired neonatologist from Canada, emphasized that the evidence used by the prosecution, particularly that derived from his own academic research on air embolisms, had been misinterpreted. He stated, “The evidence that was used to convict her was wrong, and for me that is a problem,” highlighting that none of the conditions observed during the trial supported claims of deliberate harm. As echoed in reports from CBS News, Dr. Lee pointed out that medical records show issues such as clots and natural health complications rather than any malicious action on Letby’s part.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed receipt of a request from Letby’s legal team for the case to be reassessed, a step seen as crucial to potentially overturning her conviction. The CCRC has the authority to send cases back to the Court of Appeal if they determine there is significant new evidence presenting a possible miscarriage of justice, as stated by The Guardian.

During Letby’s initial trial, several expert testimonies were presented, claiming that she had injected air into the infants’ bloodstreams, causing fatal embolisms. However, the newly assembled expert panel, which includes prominent specialists from around the world, insists that skin discolorations attributed to embolisms are not reliable indicators of malice. The findings from this expert panel are expected to form the foundation of a new round of appeals by Letby’s legal team.

She remains in custody, having exhausted previous appeals while facing the long-standing specter of being labeled the UK’s most prolific child killer in modern history. As reported by BBC, pressure continues to mount on authorities to re-examine the circumstances of Letby’s case and the quality of the evidence that resulted in her conviction.

The ongoing legal discussions and public inquiry into the allegations against Letby have raised broader questions around hospital management practices and accountability concerning neonatal care standards in the UK.