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‘She wasn’t aggressive or antisocial’: Psychiatrist explains why Lucy Letby is ‘unique’ compared to other offenders
British nurse Lucy Letby was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release for killing seven babies in her care, and attempting to kill six others
British nurse Lucy Letby was sentenced this month to life in prison with no chance of release for killing seven babies in her care, and attempting to kill six others as a neonatal nurse in Chester Hospital in Cheshire, England. The 33-year-old is now being considered one of the most prolific child killers in the history of the United Kingdom.
In the aftermath of Lucy’s sentencing, Dr. Sohom Das, a qualified Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist who assesses, treats and rehabilitates criminals who are mentally disordered, has explained how the nurse’s case is remarkably different from other similar cases. “Lucy is very unique compared to the rest of the offender population I have assessed,” Sohom said in an interview with Hindustan Times. “One major reason is that there were almost no red flag warnings.”
“She wasn’t aggressive, antisocial, hostile or cantankerous. As far as we know, there is no trauma in her history. She wasn’t, for example, a victim of abuse. She had no criminal history or even issues relating to friends and peers. In fact, before baby deaths started spiking, she was seen by her colleagues as diligent and conscientious,” Sohom added.
Was Lucy battling mental health issues?
On being asked whether Lucy may have been battling mental health issues, Sohom said, “It has been established that Lucy suffered from some background anxiety and depression. However, crucially, in my view, this did not affect her criminal culpability. It may have given her a negative outlook on life, but that still does not explain and certainly does not excuse what she did.”
It has been revealed that multiple warnings about Lucy went unheeded by the hospital. Shockingly, the Countess of Chester Hospital Foundation Trust contacted the Cheshire Constabulary, which is the police force responsible for the area, only in early May 2017. This was about a year and a half after doctors at the hospital began raising suspicions about the babies’ deaths. The court heard during the trial that several paediatricians who worked alongside Lucy had alerted hospital executives about the nurse on multiple occasions. Finally, it was Dr Sandie Brohin who reportedly helped bring down Lucy, following discoveries she made during an investigation into the baies’ deaths.
