Partner Ernest Aduwa comments on the Lucy Letby case, in The Telegraph

Partner Ernest Aduwa comments in The Telegraph on the news that three bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

Ernest’s comments were published in The Telegraph, 3 July 2025, and can be found here. His comments were also published in The Daily Express.

“The arrests of former senior hospital staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital is deeply troubling. While it is entirely right that all possible failings are investigated, the decision to arrest these individuals, rather than invite them for a voluntary interview under caution, raises serious concerns. Given the considerable time that has passed since the events in question, as well as the findings presented by a panel of medical experts which found no malfeasance in any of the deaths, the use of arrests risks appearing more like a performative gesture than a measured pursuit of justice.

“The distinction between corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter is also an important one. Corporate manslaughter relates to organisational failings, whereas gross negligence manslaughter focuses on individual actions or inactions. If there is evidence of criminal negligence it should be pursued, but the timing and method of these arrests suggest a desire to be seen to act, rather than a clear, evidence-led necessity. The police have stated that this does not affect Letby’s convictions, but one must question whether these arrests serve any genuine legal purpose at this stage.

“It is essential that investigations into institutional failings are thorough and impartial, and the focus should remain on establishing facts rather than creating spectacle. If there is evidence of criminal negligence, it must be presented in court, not pre-emptively sensationalised through high-profile detentions.

“The victims’ families, the public, and the accused all deserve a process that is fair, transparent, and free from the taint of opportunism.”