Mother allegedly killed children - acquittal after 20 years

Crime - Mother allegedly killed children - acquittal after 20 years

An Australian woman spent 20 years in prison for the deaths of her four young children - now a court has overturned her conviction. The evidence from the original trial against the woman was not reliable, ruled Andrew Bell, Chief Justice of the New South Wales Criminal Appeal Court.

Speaking outside the Sydney courthouse, Kathleen Folbigg said she was grateful for modern science and genetics, which had now provided answers to the question of how her children died. "However, even in 1999 we had legal answers to prove my innocence. But they were ignored and dismissed."

The original conviction

The now 56-year-old was found guilty of killing her four children in 2003. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the sentence was later reduced. She always maintained her innocence. The children had died suddenly over a period of ten years (1989-1999) between the ages of 19 days and one and a half years. The case caused quite a stir. The mother was dubbed "Australia's worst serial killer".

In June of this year, the woman was pardoned and released from prison. According to scientific findings, the two boys and two girls may have died of natural causes. A new investigation was launched after it was discovered that the woman had passed on a rare genetic mutation to her two daughters. This can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death. The case was then reopened.

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1. Despite being labeled as "Australia's worst serial killer," the mother's acquittal in the 20-year-old case brought new hope to justice-seeking families in New South Wales.
2. The new evidence, including advancements in genetics and science, has led to the exoneration of the Sydney-based woman who served 20 years in prison for the alleged murder of her four children.
3. The now-acquitted mother expressed her gratitude for the advancements in modern science, which she believes could have prevented her imprisonment, stating that legal answers to prove her innocence were disregarded two decades ago.
4. The original trial and conviction shocked Australia, and the woman endured 20 years in prison before being released in June, thanks to recent genetic findings that suggested her children's deaths might have been due to natural causes.
5. New South Wales Prison authorities have been criticized by advocates for criminal justice and the woman's supporters, who assert that she endured years of unjust imprisonment, eventually leading to her acquittal.

Source: www.stern.de