'This isn't a political campaign, it's a legal process': Wes Streeting says campaign to free Lucy Letby is 'not right'

17 February 2025, 09:06 | Updated: 17 February 2025, 10:15

The campaign for Lucy Letby to be freed is "not the right thing to do", Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.

Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, Mr Streeting said those protesting Letby's innocence needed to consider the "grieving parents who have lost their babies".

He said that if people believe there has been an unfair conviction, there is a legal route to follow.

"It is still the case that Lucy Letby is convicted of the crimes she was accused of," Mr Streeting said.

"I know there is a campaign being waged, including by her legal team and some of my parliamentary colleagues, to protest her innocence."

Letby, 35, from Hereford, was convicted of murdering seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others when she worked on the neonatal unit under Rees between June 2015 and June 2016.

After two trials, she was given 15 whole-life orders, making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison. She lost two attempts to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeal.

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Health Secretary Wes Streeting speaks to Nick Ferrari | Watch again

"What I would say to those campaigners is that there is a judicial process to follow if people think there has been an unsafe or wrong convictions," Mr Streeting said.

"I would ask people to consider those grieving parents who have lost their babies."

It comes after Mr Streeting previously called for an end to "crass and insensitive" speculation surrounding the innocence of Letby.

"I still think that waging a campaign in this way, in the wake of these convictions, is not the right thing to do," he told Nick on Monday.

"I still think there is a judicial process to follow if people believe, on any conviction, that there's been an unsafe, or unfair or unlawful conviction, there are legal routes to follow.

"I would encourage those people to follow the legal routes. This is not a political campaign, this is a legal process and the rule of law must be adhered to.

"Until I'm told otherwise, by the courts of this land, I continue to stand by the view that there's been a fair conviction here until the courts determine otherwise. That's how justice in this country runs."

Lawyer claims serial killer Lucy Letby did not commit any murders | Watch in full

Previously speaking to LBC, Mr Streeting said: "I'm with the families on this.

"I can’t imagine the unbelievable grief they’re going through without the constant speculation whether someone who has been convicted for these murders, with whole life sentences, being effectively presumed innocent by a number of people

"Out of respect to the families, do it quietly. I actually think it is crass and insensitive to wage a public campaign in this way."

A panel of medical experts claimed earlier this month that they had found "no murders" in Letby's case as they called for her sentence to be investigated.

Her legal team presented "new evidence" to have her case overturned - claiming that a number of babies Letby killed actually died by other means and were not murdered.

The team includes 10 neonatologists, a pediatric surgeon, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, and a neonatal intensive care nurse.

Dr Shoo Lee, an internationally recognised neonatal medical expert, addressed the grieving parents at the start of a press conference, saying: "We understand their stress and their anguish, and our work is not meant to cause more distress.

"Rather, it is meant to give them comfort and assurance in knowing the truth about what really happened.

"We know that they want to know the truth and that is why we are here to tell the truth.

"Should they have any queries or concerns, we'd be pleased to discuss them with them."