Full story
Prosecution decision on Letby
The Crown Prosecution Service said it will not bring any further criminal charges against former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby after reviewing additional material submitted by Cheshire Constabulary in 2025.
“The Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to bring any new charges against former nurse Lucy Letby after reviewing evidence from a 2025 investigation into further allegations of murder and attempted murder.”
The CPS said the evidential test was not met for two alleged murders and seven alleged attempted murders relating to incidents at the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s hospitals.
It said the decision was made independently and in line with legal tests.
Letby is already serving whole‑life sentences after convictions for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others between June 2015 and June 2016.
The CPS has written to the families involved and offered to meet them to explain the decision.
CPS hospital review
The CPS statement, led in public comments by Frank Ferguson of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, repeatedly cited the evidential threshold as the reason for not prosecuting further.
Several mainstream and local outlets quoted the CPS phrase that the material "did not meet the evidential test" and that the decision was made independently and "in line with legal tests."
The CPS review covered allegations spanning the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s hospitals and concluded the evidence could not support charges of murder in two infant deaths or attempted murder in seven surviving infants.
Cheshire response to CPS decision
Cheshire Constabulary expressed surprise and disappointment at the Crown Prosecution Service's decision.
“Cheshire Constabulary said the outcome was unexpected, that it believed the evidence met charging standards, but that it must respect the CPS decision.”
The force said it had submitted files in July 2025 and believed the material met the charging standard.
It added that it must respect the CPS decision and asked for privacy for affected families.
Mainstream outlets described the force's public response as unexpected or not the outcome they had anticipated.
Local media repeated those lines and noted the investigation's long history under Operation Hummingbird.
Family reactions and procedures
Families affected were notified in writing and offered meetings by the CPS, and several outlets report that some relatives are seeking formal reviews of the charging decision or considering civil claims against the NHS.
Tabloid and some national reporting record strong emotional reactions, including words such as "absolutely devastated" and "shell-shocked" used by families in those pieces.
Mainstream reports emphasise the procedural avenues available, such as the victims' right to review.
Media coverage differences
The wider context remains contested in some reporting.
“Former lead prosecution witness Dr Dewi Evans had expressed concerns about at least three further child deaths and as many as 15 other incidents, including suspected insulin poisoning and tampering or displacement of breathing tubes.”
All sources reiterate Letby’s convictions and sentence: she is serving 15 whole-life terms after convictions for seven murders and multiple attempted murders.
Some outlets (Daily Mail, Daily Express) also report additional claims and concerns raised by experts or witnesses, such as former prosecution witness Dr Dewi Evans, about further deaths and possible methods.
Those reports mention suspected insulin poisoning and tube displacement.
Other outlets avoid relaying those graphic details or label them as reported concerns rather than established facts.
This highlights variation in editorial choices about which allegations and background to emphasise.