October 2nd 2024.
Prominent scientists and medical professionals have expressed concerns regarding the handling of crucial evidence during the trial of a British nurse who was convicted of murdering several infants. The nurse in question, Lucy Letby, was found guilty last year and given a life sentence with no possibility of parole for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others. In a second trial held this July, she was also found guilty of attempting to murder another infant under her care.
According to reports from the BBC, experts in the fields of health and science have raised doubts about how the courts evaluated the complex medical evidence presented during the trial. While they do not have an opinion on Letby's guilt, they have closely studied the key medical evidence that was put before the jury. Some have questioned the amount of insulin that Letby would have needed to harm the babies in her care, the health status of one of the victims she was convicted of murdering, and the pathology analysis presented during the trial.
The first trial, which concluded in August of last year, involved over 100 days of intricate evidence surrounding the deaths that occurred at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The prosecution claimed that Letby had killed two of her victims, known in court as Baby F and Baby L, by adding a small amount of insulin to their IV bags. However, a New Zealand expert named Geoff Chase has calculated that it would have taken 20 to 80 times the amount of insulin to cause a fatal reaction.
In addition to the insulin-related charges, Letby was also convicted of murdering another infant, Baby C, by intentionally pumping air into their stomach. An X-ray taken on a day when Letby was not working showed that the infant's stomach was swollen. However, British neonatologist Michael Hall, who has previously expressed doubts about Letby's guilt, stated that there are multiple explanations for excess gas in a baby's stomach.
During the first trial, the prosecution's pathologist said that the death of Baby O, one of a set of triplets born in good health, was caused by an "impact injury" to his liver, similar to those seen in car accidents. But a leading perinatal pathologist, who wishes to remain anonymous, has stated that she has seen this type of liver damage in her career on at least three occasions, and each time, it was due to natural causes.
Letby is currently serving 15 life sentences with no chance of release, making her only the fourth woman in the United Kingdom to receive such a severe punishment. However, a growing number of supporters have raised doubts about the circumstantial and statistical evidence used against her. This month, an inquiry was launched into the failures that led to multiple incidents of harm at the Countess of Chester Hospital, as well as the response from staff and management and the treatment of parents involved. The head of the inquiry has made it clear that the focus will not be on Letby's conviction.
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