Karen Rees, Lucy Letby’s former manager, expresses doubt. She now wonders if Letby may be innocent of the baby murders.
Rees noticed a rise in baby deaths in 2016. Soon after, she met with Lucy and told her she was being removed due to concerns about her work. Rees said Lucy seemed shocked and scared; she could not understand what was happening.
Rees supported Letby for two years. This period involved investigations into baby deaths. A court convicted Letby in 2023; she murdered seven babies and tried to murder seven others. Despite the conviction, Rees still thinks she is innocent.
Rees informed Letby about the management decision to remove her from her clinical duties. Rees said this protected both her and the babies. Letby would then fulfill a non-clinical role for the time being during the investigation.
The hospital unit was downgraded around that time, going from a Level 2 to a Level 1. Very sick babies went to other hospitals then. Rees thinks the deaths hurt Letby greatly; Letby often cried during their meetings.
Rees mentioned that Letby is emotional and disputes the belief that Letby is unfeeling. She thinks Letby was acting convincingly. Letby felt awful about the consultant’s accusations. She thought they were close friends and could not understand the allegations.
Rees publicly denounced Letby after her conviction. Yet, Rees now regrets saying those things. After Letby’s sentence, Rees called her convincing and now believes Letby deceived her skillfully. She also feels many others were deceived.
Rees has contacted Letby since changing her mind and requested a visit. Letby has not yet accepted this opportunity. Rees now believes a miscarriage of justice may have occurred and thinks it is one of the worst in Britain.
Unit managers know their team best, according to Rees, while consultants only visit a couple times each week. Lucy’s manager thought she was fantastic and followed all the rules closely. Rees says Lucy’s manager told her all that.
Rees trusted Lucy when she said she did nothing wrong. Rees recalls Lucy mentioned she never asked if she did it because Rees believed her. Letby’s lawyers sent her case to a review commission. Legal experts said there was no evidence of murder and think she did not harm the babies.