Lucy Letby: What makes a female serial killer?

Lucy Letby: What makes a female serial killer?

Author: The Times September 4, 2023 Duration: 27:02

Since the nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies, one question has remained – and may always be – unanswered: why?

In this episode we speak to an expert on female serial killers who outlines why we shouldn't be shocked by Letby and her crimes, and how Letby fits the profile of a female serial killer. But also – even more chillingly – how she doesn't.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Book: Just As Deadly: The Psychology of Female Serial Killers https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/just-as-deadly/085C912B92AAD29C2B76251C56D91356

Guest: Marissa A. Harrison, Professor of Psychology, Penn State Harrisburg.

Host: Luke Jones.

Helplines: NSPCC provides help, advice and support to adults worried about a child.

Phone: 0808 800 5000 (24/7)

https://www.nspcc.org.uk

Samaritans is available for anyone struggling to cope and provides a safe place to talk 24 hours a day: https://www.samaritans.org

Phone: 116 123

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Child Bereavement UK: https://www.childbereavementuk.org

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Each morning, The Story arrives with a clear purpose: to move beyond the headlines and explore the forces and people shaping our world. Guided by the experienced reporting of Manveen Rana and Luke Jones, this daily podcast from The Times delves into the most significant political developments and news events with a level of depth and context that only their global network of journalists can provide. You’ll hear more than just summaries; you’ll get a nuanced understanding of why a story matters, who it impacts, and what might happen next. The analysis is sharp and the storytelling is compelling, designed to fit into your morning routine seven days a week. It’s a direct line to the frontline reporting and editorial expertise of one of the world’s most respected news organizations. This consistent, in-depth approach makes the podcast a reliable resource for anyone looking to truly comprehend the day’s events. Supported by readers of The Times and The Sunday Times, the production maintains a commitment to journalistic integrity and thorough exploration, ensuring every episode provides substance and clarity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 108

The Story
Podcast Episodes
Just who are Just Stop Oil? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
Security measures at Wimbledon have been ramped up to stop the environmental activist group Just Stop Oil from disrupting play. Meanwhile, controversial new police powers came into effect this week in England and Wales,…
How Putin might fall: A lesson from 1991 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:35
Vladimir Putin may have averted an armed rebellion by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin – but if the fall of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 tells us anything, it's that even a failed coup can still spell ruin for a leader.This…
The Wuhan lab (Pt 2): The shadow project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:06
The second of our two-part special on the origins of Covid, drawing from a new Sunday Times investigation into the Wuhan Institute of Virology.The Insight team has spoken to US investigators who believe the Wuhan Institu…
The Wuhan lab (Pt 1): Mutant viruses and risky experiments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:07
The first of our two-part special on the origins of Covid, drawing from a new Sunday Times investigation into the Wuhan Institute of Virology.Newly declassified US intelligence leaves open the question of where the pande…
The plan to overthrow Europe’s last dictator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:09
Belarus’ dictatorial president Alexander Lukasheko is getting ever closer to the Kremlin - this week he even brokered a truce between the Wagner group and president Putin to prevent a march on Moscow. But most Belarusian…
Will high interest rates cause a housing crash? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:22
Last week the Bank of England put up interest rates to 5 per cent - a move that has already meant increased mortgage payments for many. So could this lead to a crash in the housing market? What can the government do to a…
The Wagner mutiny: Is this the beginning of the end for Putin? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:26
Vladimir Putin has survived the most serious threat to his authority in two decades of power, following an attempted armed mutiny led by the leader of the Wagner group – and his former ally – Yevgeny Prigozhin. For the t…
Migration: How Europe as we know it is changing for good [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:03
Mass migration is transforming our continent just as significantly as wars did in the past. For a book he’s written on this very issue, author and journalist Ben Judah followed the path of Hannibal and Napoleon, crossing…
Why victims of the Windrush scandal are still waiting for justice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:24
It's the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in Essex - the ship that brought some of the first post-war migrants to the UK from the Caribbean to fill labour shortages. But years later…
A British woman is jailed for abortion - does the law need to change? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:45
A woman has been sentenced to 28 months in prison after using abortion pills to end her pregnancy after the legal time limit, sparking protests and calls for abortion to be decriminalised. But could law reform risk abort…