Panorama's latest investigation into convicted nurse Lucy Letby, titled 'Who to Believe?', has left viewers more perplexed than enlightened. The programme, which aired on BBC One, examines the evidence that led to Letby's conviction for killing seven babies and attempting to kill seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. However, the documentary has been criticised for being muddled and lacking conclusive information.
The documentary follows an ITV film, 'Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?', which highlighted flaws in the prosecution's case. That programme featured experts who questioned the evidence, including Professor Neena Modi, who described the trial as 'deeply disturbing' and based on flawed evidence. Panorama's offering similarly considers the limitations of the evidence but also scrutinises alternative theories proposed by experts like Professor Shoo Lee, who rebutted the prosecution's interpretation of his work on air embolisms.
However, the documentary has been described as a 'muddled hour of television', with presenters Judith Moritz and Jonathan Coffey engaging in a heated exchange that resembled a radio phone-in rather than serious journalism. The pair discussed whether it was significant that prosecution expert Dr Dewi Evans changed his mind on a baby's cause of death, but failed to provide clarity. The programme also delved into tangential issues, such as the death of Baby O and potential liver injuries, further underscoring the lack of consensus among experts.
This is the third Panorama on Letby by Moritz, following 'The Nurse Who Killed' in 2023 and 'Unanswered Questions' last year. The new instalment adds to the growing uncertainty surrounding the case, but critics argue it offers little new insight. As one reviewer noted, 'It certainly wouldn’t be right to take the ITV documentary – or any other for that matter – as the ultimate authority on the case. But this Panorama seems to add very little in the way of conclusive information.'
