The agony endured by the parents of Lucy Letby’s victims was summed up in a heartrending statement read after the nurse was found guilty of seven murders and six attempted murders at today.
Janet Moore, Family Liaison Co-ordinator with Cheshire Constabulary, read the statement on behalf of the families outside Manchester Crown Court.
They said: “Words cannot effectively explain how we are feeling at this moment in time. We are quite simply stunned.
“To lose a baby is a heart-breaking experience that no parent should ever have to go through. But to lose a baby or to have a baby harmed in these particular circumstances is unimaginable.”
Over the last seven or eight years the families had been through a “long, torturous and emotional journey”, they explained.
They continued: “From losing our precious new-borns and grieving their loss, seeing our children who survived – some of whom are still suffering today, to being told years later that their death or collapse might be suspicious. Nothing can prepare you for that news.
“Today, justice has been served and a nurse who should have been caring for our babies has been found guilty of harming them. But this justice will not take away the extreme hurt, anger and distress that we have all had to experience. Some families did not receive the verdict that they expected and therefore it is a bittersweet result.”
All of the relatives were “heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb,” the statement continued.
It added: “Words cannot express our gratitude to the jury who have had to sit through 145 days of gruelling evidence, which has led to today’s verdict – we recognise that this has not been an easy task for them and we will forever be grateful for their patience and resilience throughout this incredibly difficult process.
“The police investigation began in 2017 and we have been supported from the very beginning by a team of experienced and dedicated Family Liaison Officers. We want to thank these officers for everything they have done for us.”
The evidence of medical experts, consultants, doctors and nursing staff had at times has been “extremely harrowing and distressing” to listen to, the statement acknowledged.
It continued: “However, we recognise the determination and commitment that each witness has shown in ensuring that the truth was told. We acknowledge that the evidence given by each of them has been key in securing today’s verdict.
“Finally we would like to acknowledge and thank the investigation team and, more recently, the prosecution team who have led the trial to a successful conclusion. The search for the truth has remained at the forefront of everyone’s minds and we will forever be grateful for this.
“We would now ask for time in peace to process what has happened as we come to terms with today’s verdict.”
A statement issued but the team of Family Liaison Officers who worked as part of Operation Hummingbird, the name given to the investigation into deaths at the hospital, added:
“On behalf of our team of dedicated Family Liaison Officers, I would like to thank all of the families for the immense fortitude and extreme resilience that they have shown over the years.
“They have acted with dignity and reservedness during a very long trial, whilst hearing the most horrendous evidence. We are all extremely humbled by them.
“I hope that the support that we have provided to all of the families has been of some comfort to them during an incredibly difficult journey.”
The statement added: “We have worked closely alongside His Majesty’s Court Service to ensure that the families have been able to watch court proceedings in Manchester as well as remotely over the past ten months. This has assisted them greatly in being able to view the trial with more ease. We would like to thank court staff for all of their help with this.
Whist today’s verdict can by no means relieve the suffering that families have gone through and are still going through, we hope that it will bring them some comfort.
Our thoughts remain with you all.”
