Child serial killer Lucy Letby found unfit to be a nurse

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Child serial killer Lucy Letby has been found unfit to practise nursing by the UK’s nursing watchdog.

Letby, who was sentenced to 14 whole life orders in August, did not challenge the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s ruling but told the panel she maintained her innocence.

In a statement, she said: “I do not wish to take part or be present at the hearing. I do not resist the application to strike me off the nursing register.

“I accept the fact of the convictions. However, I do not accept that I am guilty of any of the allegations. I maintain my innocence in respect of all of the convictions.

“These convictions are now the subject of an appeal.”

The 33-year-old was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to murder six others. Her crimes occurred on the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit, where she worked between June 2015 and June 2016.

At a hearing in east London, chair Bernard Herdan said the panel was satisfied that Letby caused harm to patients, brought the profession into disrepute and breached fundamental tenets of the profession, before announcing they find her fitness to practise is impaired.

The fitness to practise panel will now hold a hearing to decide whether to strike her off the nursing register entirely.

The finding follows submissions from Christopher Scott, for the NMC, in which he said: “The harm that she caused is so egregious, the lack of insight and remorse that she demonstrated so striking, that the finding of impairment is necessary.”

He quoted Mr Justice Goss’s sentencing remarks – highlighting the judge saying “this was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder” that involved “a deep malevolence bordering on sadism” for which Letby showed “no remorse”.

The NMC’s barrister said Letby’s convictions are so serious that they cannot be remediated, that the panel should find her fitness to practise is impaired for public protection and that a failure to do so “would invoke a crisis in public confidence”.

The panel was told Letby was asked in a “tick-box exercise” if she accepts the NMC charges.

She ticked “yes” to each of the charges.

The panel found the fact of Letby’s convictions was proven.

She faces a retrial next June for one count of attempted murder.