Child serial killer nurse, Lucy Letby, revealed to a colleague more than a year before her arrest that she was concerned she had “maybe done something wrong” to babies, an inquiry has disclosed. In April 2017, Letby sent an email to an occupational health nurse expressing her apprehensions and stating, “I blame myself.” Kathryn de Beger, who was assigned to support Letby’s mental health and wellbeing after she was removed from the neonatal unit in July 2016, testified at the Thirlwall Inquiry about the events leading up to Letby’s crimes.
Initially informed that Letby had been moved for training purposes amid an investigation into an increased mortality rate in the unit, de Beger later discovered that Letby was suspected of causing harm to patients. A WhatsApp group was established involving Letby, her union representative Hayley Cooper, de Beger, and Karen Rees, head of nursing in the urgent care division, with numerous messages exchanged on various topics including Letby’s personal life.
De Beger explained that she felt compelled to support Letby during a distressing period and was the sole source of support for the nurse at that time. She described how Letby asked for meetings around the anniversaries of babies’ deaths, indicating a level of distress that was not typical of other nurses she had encountered. Letby’s comment in the email about feeling responsible for any wrongdoing to babies did not raise concerns initially, as Letby had always maintained her innocence in previous interactions.
Police were alerted to the situation in May 2017, leading to Letby’s arrest at her home in Chester in July 2018. Dr. Joanne Davies, a consultant clinical lead in obstetrics and gynecology, shared that there were concerns within the hospital prior to the deaths of two triplet boys indicating that something was amiss in the neonatal unit due to a sudden increase in mortality rates. Comparisons were even drawn to the notorious case of Beverly Allitt, who committed similar crimes in 1991.
The inquiry, which is expected to continue at Liverpool Town Hall into the early part of the following year, aims to shed light on the circumstances surrounding Letby’s actions. As more details emerge from the inquiry, the extent of the tragedy caused by Letby’s crimes becomes clearer, prompting a re-examination of procedures and safeguards within the healthcare system to prevent such incidents from happening again.