A statistical paper questioning the guilt of Lucy Letby has been refused publication by a science journal over fears that it might upset the parents of her victims. The Telegraph has the story.
Prof John O’Quigley, from the Department of Statistical Science at UCL, submitted an analysis to Medicine, Science and the Law, setting out the “logical and statistical errors” in cases of suspected serial killer nurses, including Letby.
Although the police and prosecution said statistics were irrelevant in Letby’s case, Prof O’Quigley argued in the paper that “statistical arguments are used to show that a crime has taken place”.
In the paper he stated that a “smoking gun” roster chart placing Letby at all the deaths and collapses cannot be relied upon and said that the spike in deaths was explicable by “a catalogue of serious shortcomings” at the hospital, such as understaffing.
However, the paper was rejected by Medicine, Science and the Law with the main reviewer arguing that “the suffering of the parents of the victims needs to be held firmly in mind”.
The reviewer said they were “open to the need for critical development in jurisprudential processes – including academic critique in peer reviewed publication” but said they were “unconvinced” it was the appropriate time.
They added: “The time for critique will come – and the Thirlwall Inquiry represents an important opportunity for such – but I am unconvinced that it has arrived, outside of that inquiry, as yet.”
The Thirlwall Inquiry is currently examining how deaths could have been prevented at the Countess of Chester Hospital and evidence is due to conclude in January.
Prof O’Quigley said he was now intending to submit the paper to a journal outside of Britain.
More dispassionate science from an academic establishment more worried about optics than truth. The Thirlwall Inquiry of course has specifically ruled out questioning Letby’s guilt, so no “critique” of the evidence can be expected from there.
Worth reading in full.
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