A horrifying suspicion. British police have arrested a former nurse who worked in the neonatology department of Chester Hospital, in northwest England. The accusation is horrifying: the woman, now 29, is accused of killing at least eight newborns and attempting to murder them in nine other cases. According to local media reports, the hospital commissioned an independent investigation in 2016 after recording an unusual increase in deaths in the clinic's neonatal ward between March 2015 and July 2016. The nurse had already been arrested once in July 2018, but was later released on bail. At that time, she was suspected of murder in eight cases and attempted murder in six others. The woman's new arrest—her home was also searched—has been linked to three additional cases of attempted murder. "We are fully aware that this is a heavy burden for everyone involved, including the children's families, staff, and other patients at the hospital," Detective Inspector Paul Hughes told reporters. Investigators describe the investigation as "extremely challenging." The former nurse, the Guardian reports, worked at Chester's neonatal unit after graduating in 2011, until she was transferred to an administrative position and finally suspended two years ago. Police say the woman is cooperating with the investigation. An investigation is underway to determine her motive for committing the murders.
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