Why the British Nurse Who Killed 7 Newborns Is Under 24-Hour Surveillance After Life Sentence

Concerns Over Inmate Attacks Lead to 15-Minute Welfare Checks
Seven Infants Killed While Working in Hospital Neonatal Unit
Denied Charges but Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Without Parole

The former British nurse who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of seven newborns is reportedly under 24-hour intensive surveillance in prison. On August 17 (local time), the British media outlet Daily Mail reported on the current situation of former nurse Lucy Letby, who is incarcerated in a prison in Surrey, England. According to the report, Letby is under constant watch, with prison officers checking on her every 15 minutes in rotation.

Former British nurse Lucy Letby, sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of seven newborns. BBC

The prison authorities stated that such surveillance is inevitable due to concerns that Letby could be attacked by fellow inmates. A source within the prison explained, "After her heinous crimes were revealed in a recent documentary, Letby has been subjected to even more relentless ridicule in prison," adding, "Her own delusion that she might soon be released from prison also plays a role."

Letby was accused of murdering five boys and two girls while working in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England between June 2015 and June 2016. She primarily worked night shifts and deliberately injected air into newborns or force-fed them milk, and two of the infants were poisoned with insulin. Among the victims were premature babies and twins, and one baby died just a day after birth.

At the time of the crimes, when the mother of a pair of twins noticed something suspicious, Letby calmly said, "Trust me, I'm a nurse." However, additional documents and medical records related to infants were later found in her home.

Letby's crimes came to light in 2018, three years later, after unexplained deaths continued to occur in the neonatal unit. During the police investigation, Letby cried and denied the charges. She even attempted to divert blame by pointing to the hospital's hygiene issues and the incompetence of staff. However, notes were found in her home with statements such as "I killed them on purpose because I am not good enough to care for them," and "I am a horrible, evil person. To have done this, I am evil," which revealed the brutality of her actions. Prosecutors who investigated Letby stated, "Letby was cold-blooded and cruel, and even her colleagues did not know a murderer was among them," emphasizing that she meticulously maintained her lies. After a trial that lasted 10 months, a British court sentenced Letby to life imprisonment without parole in 2023.