A close childhood friend of convicted nurse Lucy Letby has publicly claimed she is being used as a 'scapegoat' to cover for the failings of senior doctors at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit.
Friend's Allegation of a 'Petty Vendetta'
In a speech to supporters last week, the friend—a medical research scientist identified only as Dawn—said she believes consultants waged a 'petty vendetta' against Letby. She claims this retaliation began after the then newly-qualified nurse raised concerns about standards of care on the ward.
Dawn described Letby, 35, who is serving a whole-life term for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, as 'the kindest, most gentle person I know' and stated her firm belief in Letby's innocence.
A Situation That 'Snowballed'
The friend argued that 'insecure doctors and consultants' blamed Letby for the unusual cluster of deaths between 2015 and 2016 to deflect from their own professional shortcomings. She suggested that when staff felt 'under scrutiny', they turned on the nurse as the easiest target.
'I imagine the situation may have seeded a petty vendetta with the consultants against Lucy,' Dawn said. 'Consultants who would then conspire to discredit her in retaliation... throw around a few unfounded accusations.'
She contends the situation spiralled out of control once police were involved. 'But when the police got involved, the failings began stacking up. I think the situation snowballed away from the consultants... Lucy went from a scapegoat and a target for a slap on the wrist to the focus of a full-scale witch hunt.'
Growing Support and Legal Process
Letby's case has attracted significant attention, with support bolstered by commentators like Peter Hitchens and documentaries such as ITV's 'Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?' which have questioned her guilt.
Furthermore, a panel of 14 scientists and medical experts has presented evidence suggesting many of the infant deaths could be attributed to natural causes.
On the legal front, Letby's legal team has submitted new evidence to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). The CCRC has the power to refer her case back to the Court of Appeal for a fresh review.
The long-awaited final report from the Thirlwall Inquiry into the neonatal unit's operations is due to be released after Easter. Letby's team has requested this inquiry be paused pending the outcome of the CCRC's assessment.
