Part of the opening statement of Richard Baker KC, a barrister speaking on behalf of the parents of children C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, O, P and R:
“The position of the families in this investigation is unique. They are anonymised by means of codes, as are their children. Some have expressed concern that this has the effect of dehumanising them in the eyes of the public and the media, and has created an environment in which people feel able to express vile opinions on social media, an environment in which the serial killer who murdered or attacked their children is instead humanised or even venerated.
“You’ve met the families, you know they are real people, you understand that they have a simple and reasonable goal: to live a normal life, as far away as possible from the monster that harmed them.
“They have no interest in becoming permanent attractions at a grim carnival. They ask to be allowed to grieve in secret or that their surviving children never know the role they played in this story.
“Even more tragically, they feel that revealing their identity would make them the target of ill will. What happens to society when parents of murdered or injured children have to live with this fear?
“Anyone who recklessly spreads conspiracy theories, or who repeats the same old misconceptions about this case without questioning them, should be ashamed.
“The families, together with the jury, endured 10 months of evidence – in the K case, two trials. They did so with impressive dignity, hearing the evidence against her and having no doubt that she was guilty. The jury had no doubt that she was guilty.
“The trial was overseen by an experienced Supreme Court judge and was extensively and carefully reviewed by the Court of Appeal. This trial, conducted with scrupulous fairness and exhaustive detail, is arrogantly ignored by those who criticise its outcome.
“These individuals offer superficial opinions based on second- or third-hand accounts, and draw conclusions that it might be generous to call half-baked at times. In the meantime, the families, a jury, the judge, the appeals court, and even the team that represented Letby at trial must remain silent while others use the losses those families suffered as currency to build their own reputations.
“This is an unbearable burden for the families to bear; as I have said before, it is damaging and toxic for them.
“The complexity of the opening of this inquiry shows the depth of analysis required to understand the events at the Countess of Chester Hospital. This is not an issue to be taken lightly.
“There is some relevance to this background noise, however… it reveals a common and fundamental cognitive bias as a society, we are too quick to make judgments based on first impressions. We idolize or demonize those who fit our own stereotypes. We prefer our monsters to look like monsters, to be easily identifiable, and to be distant from ourselves.
“It creates a deep cognitive dissonance when monsters don’t fit a stereotype. It’s sometimes hard to accept that evil can be banal. The cognitive biases of individuals who see a young woman working in a caring profession and can’t imagine the darkness that might lie beneath the surface are easy to understand, but we shouldn’t be so naive.
“To be successful, a serial killer must hide in plain sight.
“In her opening, Rachel Langdale KC noted that so many patients showed respect for Harold Shipman, whom they regarded as a diligent and caring doctor until, that is, the truth came out. We could add to that list many more superficially charming or apparently normal individuals who later turned out to be monsters.
“It should come as no surprise to this study that while other respectable and responsible professions attract sexual predators, the health care professions also allow those who harbor evil or murderous ideas to act out their fantasies unhindered.
“It is … thankfully rare, but it is a risk that hospitals and trusts need to be aware of. In investigating this matter, we must be wary of the idea that a serial killer like Letby was completely unpredictable or unthinkable in 2015 and 2016. Counsel to the inquiry was right in her opening statement to refer to the case of Beverly Allitt; her name is on a list that includes Harold Shipman, Colin Norris, Ben Geen and Victorino Chua.”