A British nurse refused to appear in court on Monday to be sentenced for the murders of seven babies and attempted murders of six others at the UK hospital where she worked.
Lucy Letby, 33, could face a whole life order, meaning she spends the rest of her life behind bars, when she is sentenced later at Manchester Crown Court in northern England. She was found guilty on Friday by a jury, in a case that horrified the country and made her the most prolific child serial killer of recent times.
I still don’t think they will be able to physically force the perpetrator to be present for the sentencing and victim impact statements, as this could result in very upsetting and unpredictable scenes in the courtroom for the victim’s families, if the prisoner chooses to freak out. Instead, I think there will be additional punishments for non-attendance. But if you are likely to be given a whole life sentence, what additional punishment could be effective compared to that?