Lucy Letby is legally guilty right now – and locked up on multiple whole‑life orders – but the story is far from over, and the latest CPS decision not to bring fresh charges has poured fuel on the “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent?” debate and raised serious questions about whether this could set the stage for another appeal attempt in future. This article walks through where things actually stand, what the CPS decision really means, and how it might play into any future challenge to her convictions.
Introduction: Why “Lucy Letby Guilty Or Innocent?” Will Not Go Away
If you work with criminal justice, medicine, or even just follow UK news closely, the Lucy Letby case is almost impossible to ignore. A neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more, branded Britain’s most notorious child killer in modern times – yet still insisting she is innocent.
On top of that, we now have a fresh twist: prosecutors confirming no further criminal charges over additional deaths and collapses, even though police believed the evidence hit the charging threshold. For anyone asking “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent?” that feels like a crack in an otherwise solid wall – and naturally leads to a bigger question: is this paving the way for another appeal attempt down the line?
Over the past decade of working with complex, high‑emotion stories (and the way media, law and public opinion collide around them), one pattern stands out: cases like this rarely “end” with the verdict. They evolve. That is exactly what is happening here.
Where Things Stand: Convictions, Sentences, And Failed Appeals
To understand whether another appeal is even realistic, you first need the current legal snapshot.
- Lucy Letby has been convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
- She is serving multiple whole‑life orders, meaning there is no automatic release date and she is expected to spend the rest of her life in prison.
- In 2024, she applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal her convictions and was refused by a single judge.
- Her legal team renewed that application before a panel of three judges, putting forward four grounds of appeal, but in May 2024 the Court of Appeal refused permission – effectively closing off the standard appeal route.
- Separately, she was retried and found guilty of attempting to murder another baby (Baby K), and given an additional whole‑life order in 2024.
So in strict legal terms, Lucy Letby is guilty, and the normal appeal doors have already been tried and shut.
From experience, this is where people often misunderstand the system. A refused appeal does not magically silence public doubt. It simply means the courts did not see any arguable legal error strong enough to reopen the case at that point. The story then moves into a different phase: post‑conviction challenges and narrative battles – in court, in the media, and in the court of public opinion.
The CPS “No Further Charges” Decision: A Turning Point Or Just Noise?
Fast‑forward to January 2026. Cheshire Police handed the CPS a file in July 2025, asking them to consider two further murder charges and nine attempted murder charges linked to nine infants at the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s Hospital. On 19–20 January 2026, the CPS publicly confirmed:
- They had considered potential murder and attempted‑murder offences for those further cases.
- After a review, they concluded the evidential test was not met in any case, so no further criminal charges will be brought.
- They stressed their role is not to decide guilt, but to decide whether there is a realistic prospect of conviction based on the evidence.
This matters for three reasons:
- Headline clash
On one hand, we have a woman convicted as a “child serial killer” on multiple whole‑life terms. On the other, the same system is now saying the extra allegations are not strong enough to prosecute. That tension feeds the “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent?” conversation, even if it doesn’t legally undermine the existing convictions. - Perception of doubt
To a legally trained eye, “no further charges” simply means the evidence for those additional cases is not strong enough, which is very different from “she didn’t do them”. To many people, especially online, it sounds like official hesitation – and hesitation gets read as doubt. - Narrative fuel
Letby has always maintained her innocence, and some independent experts and commentators have already questioned aspects of the medical and statistical evidence in her convictions. When a new CPS decision appears to “side with caution”, it gives her supporters and legal team more material to frame the story as uncertain or unsafe.
In other words: the CPS decision does not say she is innocent, but it does give more oxygen to the idea that “the full story isn’t as clear as the headline suggests”.
So, Lucy Letby Guilty Or Innocent – How Do You Even Judge That?
Here is the uncomfortable truth: outside the courtroom, most people are not really judging the full evidence; they are judging signals.
Those signals include:
- A long, detailed criminal trial resulting in multiple guilty verdicts.
- Whole‑life orders – reserved for the most serious offenders.
- Multiple judges turning down permission to appeal.
- Emotional accounts from families and investigators who are absolutely convinced of her guilt.
Against that, you now have:
- The CPS refusing to bring further charges on other suspected cases due to evidential weakness.
- Ongoing public arguments from some medical and legal experts that the original evidence was misinterpreted or incomplete.
- A defence emerging that frames her as the victim of a potential miscarriage of justice, with talk of new scientific reviews and a possible case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).
From a content‑strategy point of view, this is why the keyword “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent” has so much search demand. It captures that tension: formal guilt versus ongoing doubt.
From a personal point of view (having worked for years with high‑profile, emotionally charged topics), two points are worth stressing:
- Public certainty is often stronger than the underlying knowledge. Very few people have read the full trial transcripts or expert reports.
- The justice system does get things wrong sometimes – but not every high‑profile case is a miscarriage of justice, and not every conflicting headline is proof of error.
So instead of pretending to “solve” the question, a more honest approach is: here is what the courts have decided, here is what has changed, and here is how a future appeal might actually be built.
Is This Paving The Way For Another Appeal?
This is the heart of your angle: does “no further charges” help Letby in any future challenge?
1. Standard appeals are exhausted
The normal route – asking the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal – has already been tried and refused. That makes another straightforward appeal on the same grounds very unlikely.
2. The realistic route now: the CCRC
Brunel University and other legal commentators have already pointed out that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is now the key route for any fresh challenge. The CCRC:
- Looks for new evidence or new legal arguments that make the conviction look unsafe.
- Can, in rare cases, refer a case back to the Court of Appeal for a fresh look at the convictions.
Letby’s legal team is reported to have started the early stages of an application to the CCRC, which could take a year or more to review.
3. How the CPS decision could be used
While the CPS decision not to prosecute further cases does not directly attack the original convictions, a smart defence team can use it in a few ways:
- Narrative leverage
“Even the CPS accepts some of these allegations are too weak to put before a jury” becomes a talking point to question the robustness of the original pattern of allegations, especially if expert reports argue that some medical events were misinterpreted. - Evidence comparison
If there are overlaps in medical theories, statistics, or hospital processes between the original cases and the new, uncharged cases, the defence may argue that the same type of evidence has now been judged too weak in other infants. - Fresh expert analysis
The more independent panels or experts raise questions about the original interpretations (for example, about infection rates, staffing, documentation, or charting of collapses), the easier it is to argue that the convictions might rest on an unstable foundation.
From experience, this is how big “closed” cases gradually open again: not with one knockout blow, but with a series of small developments that together support a story of reasonable doubt. The CPS statement alone does not pave the road, but it is definitely another brick along it.
What This Means For Families, Police, And Public Trust
While everyone online argues about “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent”, there are three groups living a much harsher reality: the families, the officers, and the clinicians.
- Families
Some families have a conviction linked to their baby’s death; others now know the CPS will not prosecute in their child’s case, at least on the current evidence. They have access to the Victims’ Right to Review scheme, which allows them to ask the CPS to reconsider that “no charges” decision. But even a review does not guarantee any change. - Police
Cheshire Constabulary spent years building this investigation and believed the threshold for 11 further charges had been reached. Having that work effectively rejected by the CPS understandably causes frustration – and that public disagreement adds another layer of doubt in the wider conversation. - Public trust
Repeated headlines about appeals, retrials, expert “bombshells”, and now “no further charges” can leave people unsure who to believe. In health‑related homicide cases, where the science is complex and the stakes are life‑and‑death, that uncertainty can erode trust in both hospitals and the courts.
As someone used to parsing stories where law and medicine intersect, this is the bigger issue: once trust is shaken, every development – even routine legal steps – gets read as a clue that the system might have failed. That is why clear, factual content around queries like “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent” is so important.
Personal Take: How To Make Sense Of This As A Reader
If you are trying to make sense of all this, here is a practical way to approach it.
- Separate three questions in your mind
- What have the courts decided so far?
- What new decisions or evidence have emerged since?
- What is speculation, commentary, or opinion?
- Recognise that “no further charges” ≠ “innocent”
The CPS is saying the extra cases do not meet their evidential test today; they are not rewriting the original convictions. - Understand there could be another attempt at a challenge
If the CCRC is persuaded that new evidence or analysis makes the convictions look unsafe, the case could be referred back to the Court of Appeal in the future. That is a long, uncertain process – but it is not fantasy. - Accept that you may never see every piece of evidence
Reporting restrictions, technical detail, and the sheer volume of documentation mean the public conversation will always be a simplified version of what the courts saw.
When people search “Lucy Letby guilty or innocent”, they want a yes/no answer. Legally, the answer is “guilty”. Realistically, the conversation will continue – and the CPS decision not to bring fresh charges has given that conversation new energy and a potential foothold for future legal moves.
Conclusion: Stay Curious, Not Certain
Right now, the justice system says Lucy Letby is guilty and will never be released, and every conventional appeal avenue has failed. At the same time, the CPS has declined to bring further charges on other baby deaths and collapses, and her team is expected to push the “miscarriage of justice” angle through the CCRC, supported by expert reviews and public debate.
Does that mean another appeal or referral is guaranteed? No. Could it happen in the next few years if the CCRC is persuaded there is something seriously wrong with the safety of her convictions? Yes, it is possible.
FAQs About Lucy Letby And Possible Appeals
1. Is Lucy Letby legally guilty right now?
Yes. She has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others and is serving multiple whole‑life orders, including an additional whole‑life order after a 2024 retrial.
2. Has Lucy Letby already tried to appeal?
Yes. She applied for permission to appeal her convictions, and in 2024 both a single judge and then a three‑judge Court of Appeal panel refused permission, closing off the standard appeal route.
3. What did the CPS decide about new charges in 2026?
In January 2026, the CPS announced that no further charges of murder or attempted murder would be brought in relation to additional deaths and non‑fatal collapses involving nine infants, because the evidential test was not met.
4. Does the CPS “no further charges” decision mean she is innocent?
No. The decision only relates to the extra alleged offences and reflects the CPS view that there is not currently enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction on those additional cases; it does not overturn or weaken her existing convictions.
5. How could another appeal or challenge happen in future?
Any future challenge is most likely to come via the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which can review alleged miscarriages of justice and, if it finds new evidence or arguments that make a conviction unsafe, refer the case back to the Court of Appeal.
Further reading about the state of the NHS
England NHS Elderly Care: When A&E Becomes A Frightening Place To Grow Old