Australia: Kathleen Folbigg Inquest April 29, 2019 *PARDONED*
- Thread starter SouthAussie
- Start date
StarrChance
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 1,557
- Reaction score
- 3,711
One of her diary entries was “obviously I’m my fathers daughter “
drsleuth
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2012
- Messages
- 5,723
- Reaction score
- 35,141
Folbigg to continue to serve her time 
Inquiry into baby-killer Kathleen Folbigg 'reinforces' her guilt, judge finds
Inquiry into baby-killer Kathleen Folbigg 'reinforces' her guilt, judge finds
New evidence challenges child-killer Kathleen Folbigg's convictions
This is pretty mind blowing. It will be interesting to watch this play out.
This is pretty mind blowing. It will be interesting to watch this play out.
SouthAussie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2012
- Messages
- 29,285
- Reaction score
- 175,951
Wow ... just goes to show all of the stuff we don't know.
TootsieFootsie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2012
- Messages
- 13,007
- Reaction score
- 86,172
I've always had my doubts as to her guilt.
Imagine how devastating it will be IF it does turn out she was innocent this whole time. To have that terrible trauma as a child, then lose 4 of your babies, get convicted of their murders and jailed, and on top of all that, have almost no one believe you, not even your husband. What a tragic story this might turn out to be. IMO
SouthAussie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2012
- Messages
- 29,285
- Reaction score
- 175,951
I don't know how they will ever be able to tell if she is guilty or not.
I guess the new genetic findings might be able to offer some reasonable doubt.
Will the courts hear her cases again? I wonder what can happen now ... if anyone will hear this 'new evidence'.
I’d be willing to bet that there has never been another case anything like this to compare it to. I really don’t know, but I would guess that they wouldn’t be able to uphold the conviction if this new evidence does prove reasonable doubt. IMO
TootsieFootsie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2012
- Messages
- 13,007
- Reaction score
- 86,172
'I feel a lot more hopeful': Kathleen Folbigg's childhood friend welcomes scientists' push for pardon
Dozens of scientists have signed a petition calling for Kathleen Folbigg to be pardoned
A childhood friend of convicted child killer Kathleen Folbigg says she hopes new scientific evidence and a petition signed by 90 expert scientists and doctors will be enough to see her freed from prison.
Tracy Chapman has always believed her friend was innocent.
Dozens of scientists have signed a petition calling for Kathleen Folbigg to be pardoned
A childhood friend of convicted child killer Kathleen Folbigg says she hopes new scientific evidence and a petition signed by 90 expert scientists and doctors will be enough to see her freed from prison.
Tracy Chapman has always believed her friend was innocent.
This is a direct link to the scientists’ petition (from your link, Tootsie): https://www.science.org.au/files/us...w-for-pardon-of-kathleen-folbigg-02-03-21.pdf
The petition is really interesting. It outlines the grounds for the pardon and explains the medical evidence. Ninety expert scientists and doctors have signed, including many well respected and prominent professionals. Kathleen’s incarceration is starting to look quite questionable.
This was written by one of the researchers who identified the CALM2 gene mutation in Laura and Sarah. She also talks about how the 2019 inquiry lacked expert witnesses. Kathleen Folbigg's children likely died of natural causes, not murder. Here's the evidence my team found
imstilla.grandma
Believer of Miracles
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2018
- Messages
- 30,911
- Reaction score
- 210,510
The tabloids in Australia called Kathleen Folbigg a murderer of innocent babies — the nation’s “worst female serial killer.” In 2003, a court sentenced her to 40 years in prison for smothering her four children before each had turned 2.
But all along, Ms. Folbigg has insisted that she is innocent, and that her children were all victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Now, 90 leading scientists say they’re convinced she is right. New genetic evidence, the scientists say, suggests that the children died from natural causes, and they are demanding that she be pardoned.
In a petition sent to the governor of New South Wales last week, the group of scientists, which includes two Nobel laureates, called for Ms. Folbigg’s immediate release and an end to the “miscarriage of justice.”
...
...
Several of the people involved, including a world expert in CALM mutations, Prof. Michael Toft Overgaard, submitted their findings to an international peer-reviewed journal. The paper was published in November.
Further research into Caleb’s and Patrick’s genomes has revealed that they had separate rare genetic variants, which in studies with mice have been linked to early lethal epileptic seizures.
In all, 90 eminent scientists have agreed that the medical evidence proves Ms. Folbigg’s innocence. The signatories to the pardon petition include Professor Schwartz; John Shine, president of the Australian Academy of Science; and Elizabeth Blackburn, a 2009 Nobel laureate in medicine who teaches at the University of California, San Francisco.
“We would feel exhilarated for Kathleen if she is pardoned,” Professor Vinuesa said. “It would send a very strong message that science needs to be taken seriously by the legal system.”
She Was Imprisoned for Killing Her 4 Children. But Was It Their Genes All Along?
But all along, Ms. Folbigg has insisted that she is innocent, and that her children were all victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Now, 90 leading scientists say they’re convinced she is right. New genetic evidence, the scientists say, suggests that the children died from natural causes, and they are demanding that she be pardoned.
In a petition sent to the governor of New South Wales last week, the group of scientists, which includes two Nobel laureates, called for Ms. Folbigg’s immediate release and an end to the “miscarriage of justice.”
...
...
Several of the people involved, including a world expert in CALM mutations, Prof. Michael Toft Overgaard, submitted their findings to an international peer-reviewed journal. The paper was published in November.
Further research into Caleb’s and Patrick’s genomes has revealed that they had separate rare genetic variants, which in studies with mice have been linked to early lethal epileptic seizures.
In all, 90 eminent scientists have agreed that the medical evidence proves Ms. Folbigg’s innocence. The signatories to the pardon petition include Professor Schwartz; John Shine, president of the Australian Academy of Science; and Elizabeth Blackburn, a 2009 Nobel laureate in medicine who teaches at the University of California, San Francisco.
“We would feel exhilarated for Kathleen if she is pardoned,” Professor Vinuesa said. “It would send a very strong message that science needs to be taken seriously by the legal system.”
She Was Imprisoned for Killing Her 4 Children. But Was It Their Genes All Along?
imstilla.grandma
Believer of Miracles
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2018
- Messages
- 30,911
- Reaction score
- 210,510
If Folbigg is freed and her convictions are overturned, her ordeal will be seen as the worst miscarriage of justice in Australia's history - worse even than the case of Lindy Chamberlain, who served three years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering her baby, Azaria, at Uluru.
The petition exposes a troubling gulf in this case between science and the law.
Over several appeals and a detailed inquiry which re-examined Folbigg's convictions in 2019, Australia's judges have resolutely rejected the notion of reasonable doubt in her case, giving greater weight to the circumstantial evidence presented at her trial, and the ambiguous entries which she made in contemporaneous diaries.
"It remains that the only conclusion reasonably open is that somebody intentionally caused harm to the children, and smothering was the obvious method," said Reginald Blanch, a former judge who led the inquiry. "The evidence pointed to no person other than Ms Folbigg."
Kathleen Folbigg: Could science free Australian jailed for killing babies?
The petition exposes a troubling gulf in this case between science and the law.
Over several appeals and a detailed inquiry which re-examined Folbigg's convictions in 2019, Australia's judges have resolutely rejected the notion of reasonable doubt in her case, giving greater weight to the circumstantial evidence presented at her trial, and the ambiguous entries which she made in contemporaneous diaries.
"It remains that the only conclusion reasonably open is that somebody intentionally caused harm to the children, and smothering was the obvious method," said Reginald Blanch, a former judge who led the inquiry. "The evidence pointed to no person other than Ms Folbigg."
Kathleen Folbigg: Could science free Australian jailed for killing babies?
Law is antiquidated, particularly when dealing with women. It has largely been a service founded on patriarchial demands and so has science. When these systems become balanced and informed by feminist thought they will be vastly improved and modernised. IMO
TootsieFootsie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2012
- Messages
- 13,007
- Reaction score
- 86,172
Live: NSW Now: Kathleen Folbigg appeal judgment due
A decision is expected today on Kathleen Folbigg's appeal against a review that reinforced her convictions for killing her babies in the NSW Hunter Valley.
A decision is expected today on Kathleen Folbigg's appeal against a review that reinforced her convictions for killing her babies in the NSW Hunter Valley.
TootsieFootsie
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2012
- Messages
- 13,007
- Reaction score
- 86,172
Court dismisses Folbigg's latest bid
Kathleen Folbigg, jailed for killing her four children, has failed to get dismissed a former senior judge's report that concluded her guilt was "even more certain" following a special review.
Former NSW District Court chief judge Reginald Blanch QC in 2019 found significant investigations had failed to find a reasonable natural explanation for any of the deaths of Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura, who all died before their second birthday in the decade to 1999.
May be behind a paywall
Kathleen Folbigg, jailed for killing her four children, has failed to get dismissed a former senior judge's report that concluded her guilt was "even more certain" following a special review.
Former NSW District Court chief judge Reginald Blanch QC in 2019 found significant investigations had failed to find a reasonable natural explanation for any of the deaths of Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura, who all died before their second birthday in the decade to 1999.
May be behind a paywall