‘More pain for families’ as campaign launched to appeal killer Lucy Letby’s conviction
Campaign organiser criticised medical evidence presented to the jury
A fundraising campaign launched to raise money for Lucy Letby to appeal her conviction has been criticised as “disgusting” and an “absolute travesty”.
The US-based campaigner who launched the fundraiser claims that the serial killer’s conviction “may represent the greatest miscarriage of justice the UK has ever witnessed”.
Letby, a former neonatal nurse, has been unmasked as Britain’s most prolific child serial killer after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six others while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
She is one of only four women to be sentenced to a whole life order, meaning she will die behind bars. While she has the right to appeal against her sentence, successful appeals of this kind are rare and her legal team has not revealed if they plan to appeal.
Led by Sarrita Adams, a scientific consultant for biotech startups based in California, the aim of the campaign is to “ensure that scientific evidence is used responsibly in the criminal justice system”. According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Adams has a PhD from Cambridge.
Taking to social media, members of the public called the campaign an “absolute disgrace” while one commented this would only bring “more pain to the families” of her victims.
One user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “What is wrong with these people with their belief that she is innocent. I can understand why people are angry about this.”
Named ‘Science on Trial, Ms Adams and her campaigners are hoping to secure a new trial for Letby and claim to be working alongside “scientists, lawyers and activists”.
The campaign is not currently open for donations but there is a “coming soon” note on the “donate” button.
A statement on the campaign’s website criticised the medical evidence presented at the trial, and the decision to allow medical expert Dr Dewi Evans to give evidence relating to the injections of air and the quality of his submissions.
It also claims the prosecution “weaponised” evidence and that Letby’s defence submissions were not “adequate”, despite the nurse taking to the stand.
“Our first mission is to campaign for a new trial for Lucy Letby, who was recently convicted of murdering infants, under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital, UK,” the campaign’s website states.
“Lucy Letby’s trial may represent the greatest miscarriage of justice that the UK has ever witnessed. Through fundraising, researching, and legal assistance, we aim to ensure that Lucy Letby can have a fair trial where evidence is reliable. We are currently working to form a group of scientists, lawyers, and activists to aid in the upcoming appeal for Lucy Letby.”