Lucy Letby: Families of victims express their 'extreme hurt, anger and distress'

• Janet Moore, family liaison co-ordinator at Cheshire Constabulary, read out a joint statement on behalf of the families

Families of Lucy Letby's victims have expressed their “extreme hurt, anger and distress” after the nurse was found guilty of murdering seven babies.

The 33-year-old went on a year-long killing spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire between 2015 and 2016.

In a statement, read by Janet Moore, family liaison co-ordinator at Cheshire Constabulary, the families said they have been through a "long, torturous and emotional journey”.

They said: “Words cannot effectively explain how we are feeling at this moment in time. We are quite simply stunned.

“To lose a baby is a heartbreaking experience that no parent should ever have to go through, but to lose a baby or to have a baby harmed in these particular circumstances is unimaginable.

“Over the past seven to eight years we have had to go through a long, torturous and emotional journey.

“From losing our precious newborns and grieving their loss, seeing our children who survived, some of whom are still suffering today, to being told years later that their death or collapse might be suspicious, nothing can prepare you for that news.”

Letby, originally from Hereford, was found guilty of 14 of the 22 counts she faced following a 10-month trial, including the murder of five boys and two girls.

She injected air into the babies via their tubes, causing air embolisms and leaving them unable to breathe, as well as over-feeding some.

Letby was not present in court when the final verdicts were delivered.

A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of surviving and deceased children as well as identifying the parents or witnesses connected with the children.

The family statement added: “Today justice has been served and the nurse who should have been caring for our babies has been found guilty of harming them.

“But this justice will not take away from the extreme hurt, anger and distress that we have all had to experience.

“Some families did not receive the verdict that they expected and therefore it is a bittersweet result.

“We are heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb. We may never truly know why this happened.”

They said they will “forever be grateful” to jurors who had to sit through 145 days of “gruelling” evidence.

The statement also thanked the team of family liaison officers, the investigation and prosecution teams.

The families also expressed their gratitude to medical experts, consultants, doctors and nursing staff who came to give evidence during the trial, which they described as “extremely harrowing and distressing” at times to listen to.

“The search for the truth has remained at the forefront of everyone’s minds and we will forever be grateful for this,” they said.

“We would now ask for time in peace to process what has happened as we come to terms with today’s verdict.”

Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: “All of their babies will forever be in our hearts.

"I would like to thank all of the families in this case for their exceptional resilience and strength throughout this entire investigation, their composure and their dignity during this trial has been truly overwhelming.

“The investigation into the circumstances surrounding this case started in May 2017, since that time hundreds of witnesses have been spoken to by a team of dedicated detectives.

"Many of those witnesses have returned to court on numerous occasions to give evidence, without their honesty and their support the families would not have received the justice that they have received today.

“I cannot begin to imagine how the families in this case feel today, I just hope that today’s verdicts bring all of them some peace of mind for the future, and that we have answered some of the questions that they were looking for.

“Cheshire Constabulary will continue to support all of the families in this case in the coming days and weeks ahead, there will be a period of reflection as everybody comes to terms with what they’ve experienced here today.”

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