An Australian appeals court overturned Kathleen Folbigg’s 20-year-old convictions for killing her four children.
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Kathleen Folbigg’s Convictions Overturned: New Scientific Evidence Points to Natural Causes
New scientific data suggests the youngsters died naturally, prompting this decision. A New South Wales state pardon freed Kathleen Folbigg from prison in June. The new evidence led to her pardon and release before an inquiry recommended reversing her sentence.
Chief Justice Andrew Bell reversed three murders and one manslaughter verdict because Folbigg’s culpability is now in doubt.
Kathleen Folbigg thanked her supporters, lawyers, and scientists for clearing her reputation as the verdicts were reversed to applause. She cried as she recounted her struggles for nearly 25 years, facing disbelief and contempt. Folbigg said modern science and genetics explained her children’s deaths. She also noted that her prosecution overlooked natural cause evidence and blamed her instead of understanding.
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Call for Retrial as Kathleen Folbigg’s Ex-Husband Seeks Justice
Folbigg’s ex-husband, Craig Folbigg, who started the police inquiry, sought a retrial to show the jury new evidence. Kathleen Folbigg’s lawyers will seek “substantial” state compensation for her prison years. A petition from scientists and doctors said that new evidence suggested the children died naturally, prompting Folbigg’s pardon and acquittal.
The prosecution initially accused Folbigg of smothering her children, resulting in her 2003 conviction. In 2018, a genetic variation in her daughters may have caused their abrupt deaths, challenging prior convictions.
