Lucy Letby Retrial Bid Fuels New Debate After Netflix Documentary

The legal and public battle over Lucy Letby, the former neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital, has reached a fever pitch. In February 2026, her defense team submitted a sweeping dossier of 31 expert reports from 26 international medical specialists to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), seeking a retrial and reigniting debate about one of the most disturbing cases in recent British history.

Letby, now 36, is serving 15 whole life orders—one for each life lost or nearly lost between June 2015 and June 2016. Her conviction in 2023 sent shockwaves through the medical community and the public alike, and the case has continued to spark controversy and division. Two previous appeals, in July and October 2024, were rejected by the courts, with judges finding “no arguable basis” to challenge the evidence or the process. Yet, the latest push for a retrial has brought new attention, not least because it coincides with the release of a high-profile Netflix documentary, The Investigation of Lucy Letby, which premiered on February 4, 2026.

The documentary, as reported by Azat TV and MailOnline, brings viewers inside the investigation like never before. It features never-before-seen footage of Letby’s three arrests, her interrogation by police, and personal materials such as emails, handover sheets, and diary entries found in her home. Viewers also hear from the British police officers who led the case, as well as parents of victims—most notably, the mother known as “Sarah,” whose daughter “Baby D” (called “Zoe” in the film) died suddenly under Letby’s care. Sarah’s account is harrowing: she describes the trauma of her baby’s death, her sense of having “failed as a mum,” and the enduring pain that “there’s no getting over any of this.”

The film also reveals the emotional toll on hospital staff. Dr. John Gibbs, a consultant at the Countess of Chester Hospital who played a key role in alerting authorities, admits to feeling a “tiny, tiny, tiny guilt” about a possible miscarriage of justice. Though he maintains his belief in the verdict, he confesses, “You worry that no one actually saw her do it.” This moment of doubt—however slight—has fueled debate and lent weight to the arguments of Letby’s defenders.

Central to the defense’s case are the findings of the international expert panel, convened in part by Conservative MP David Davis. According to MailOnline, these 14 specialists from six countries assert that “no medical evidence” supports Letby’s guilt. Instead, they point to what they describe as serious shortcomings in hospital care: inadequate staffing, poor resuscitation and intubation skills, misdiagnoses, unsafe delays in treating very sick babies, and a lack of teamwork. Their reports argue that these failings, not deliberate harm, were to blame for the tragic deaths and near-deaths attributed to Letby.

Letby’s barrister, Mark McDonald, has been vocal in his support. Quoting from his public statement, he said, “Lucy Letby has always maintained her innocence – she has never hurt a child and never would. It is vital that the case is now referred back to the Court of Appeal as a matter of urgency.” He and the defense team have seized on the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) January 2026 decision to dismiss 11 new charges against Letby, relating to nine additional babies, on the grounds that “the evidential test was not met.” For McDonald and Letby’s supporters, this is further proof that the original case deserves urgent reconsideration.

The CCRC, the independent body responsible for investigating potential miscarriages of justice, confirmed in February 2025 that it had received an application on Letby’s behalf. Its review is expected to be lengthy and complex, given the “significant volume of complicated evidence” presented in the original trials. As the CCRC itself stated, “It is not for the CCRC to determine innocence or guilt in a case. That’s a matter for the courts. It is for the CCRC to find, investigate and, if appropriate, refer potential miscarriages of justice to the appellate courts when new evidence or new argument means there is a real possibility that a conviction will not be upheld, or a sentence reduced.”

Despite the mounting campaign for Letby’s exoneration, the response from law enforcement and many in the medical establishment has been unequivocal. Cheshire Constabulary, the police force that led the investigation, reiterated its confidence in the integrity of the convictions. A spokesperson told the press that the CPS’s decision to drop new charges “does not affect or undermine the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple murders and attempted murders of premature babies.” Furthermore, the force emphasized that this outcome “would have no impact on Operation Duet,” the ongoing investigation into possible corporate manslaughter and gross negligence at the hospital.

The prosecution’s case had relied heavily on the testimony of retired paediatrician Dr. Dewi Evans, whose expert opinions persuaded investigators that a pattern of deliberate harm existed where previous reviews had found none. The courts, too, have so far sided with the prosecution: the Court of Appeal in July 2024 found “no arguable basis” to admit new evidence or exclude Dr. Evans’s testimony, and in October 2024, it refused leave to appeal Letby’s single conviction from the retrial, rejecting claims of “abuse of process” due to media attention.

The public, meanwhile, remains sharply divided. The Netflix documentary has amplified both sympathy and outrage. Some viewers are newly persuaded by the defense’s arguments, while others, particularly the families of Letby’s victims, feel retraumatized by the renewed scrutiny. One parent told MailOnline that efforts to exonerate Letby are “disrespectful” and “very upsetting.” This sentiment is echoed by others who worry that the focus on Letby’s defense risks overshadowing the suffering of those who lost children.

Adding yet another layer to the story is the much-anticipated report from Lady Justice Thirlwall, due later in 2026. Her inquiry seeks to answer a question that has haunted the hospital and the public: how was Letby able to commit her crimes undetected for so long? The findings are expected to address not only Letby’s actions but also the broader systemic failures that may have enabled tragedy to unfold in the neonatal unit.

As the CCRC review continues and the Thirlwall report looms, the Lucy Letby case remains a lightning rod for debate about justice, medicine, and the limits of certainty in the face of tragedy. For the families, the staff, and the public, the search for answers—and for some, for closure—goes on.