Parents of Convicted Nurse Lucy Letby Speak Out Against Netflix Documentary
The parents of convicted serial killer nurse Lucy Letby have broken their long-standing silence to deliver a powerful condemnation of a forthcoming Netflix documentary. Susan and John Letby have expressed profound distress about the programme's inclusion of footage showing their daughter's dramatic arrest at their family home.
"Complete Invasion of Privacy"
In an exclusive statement to The Sunday Times, the Letbys described the documentary's use of arrest footage as a "complete invasion of privacy". They revealed they only learned about the inclusion of this material through their daughter's barrister, not from authorities or production companies.
The couple expressed particular concern about the potential consequences for their quiet Hereford neighbourhood. "Heaven knows how much more they have to show. All this taking place in the home where we have lived for 40 years," they stated. "It is in a small cul-de-sac in a small town where everyone knows everyone."
Distressing Arrest Footage
The documentary trailer, scheduled for release this Wednesday, shows police arriving at the Letby family home in June 2019. Officers are seen entering Lucy Letby's bedroom where she was staying with her parents, waking the nurse who appears confused in her pyjamas.
Police inform her she is being arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder before leading her away in her dressing gown. The Letbys described the footage of their daughter "being arrested in her bedroom in our house and her saying goodbye to one of her beloved cats" as particularly distressing.
"We've always imagined that if something life-changing is going to happen to you the next day, you would somehow have a premonition that something was about to happen," the parents reflected. "We can honestly say that on the eve of all three of the arrests we had absolutely no idea they were coming."
Tourist Attraction Fears
The couple voiced serious concerns that their family home could become a "tourist attraction" similar to what happened with their daughter's former residence in Chester. They questioned why authorities decided to release the footage without informing them in advance.
"It is a complete invasion of privacy, of which we would have known nothing if Lucy's barrister had not told us," they emphasised. The parents confirmed they have no intention of watching the documentary themselves, stating it would "kill us" to view the revealing footage.
Background of the Case
Lucy Letby, now 36, was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. She is currently serving 15 whole-life terms for these crimes.
Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Letby faces no further criminal charges after reviewing evidence regarding additional allegations involving nine children at both the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital. Cheshire Police, which submitted the evidence, acknowledged this decision was "not the outcome that we had anticipated."
Ongoing Controversy and Review
The case continues to generate significant controversy and debate within medical and legal circles. Last year, a panel of 14 leading medical experts suggested that poor medical care and natural causes might have contributed to the infant deaths rather than deliberate harm.
Among these experts was retired medic Dr Shoo Lee, who co-authored a 1989 academic paper on air embolism in babies that featured prominently during Letby's ten-month trial. In February 2024, Dr Lee stated he was "pretty certain" she had not murdered or attempted to murder any babies.
Retired Detective Superintendent Stuart Clifton, who previously helped capture child serial killer nurse Beverley Allitt, has conducted an independent review of the evidence against Letby. He told The Sun: "I am totally satisfied that Lucy Letby is innocent of all charges and that the evidence in relation to the causes of deaths and collapses put forward at trial is incorrect."
Clifton further suggested this could represent "the greatest miscarriage of justice this century – and that we have seen in a very long time." The Criminal Cases Review Commission is currently considering the case for potential miscarriage of justice review.
