A group of eminent scientists is again pushing for the release of convicted Hunter child killer Kathleen Folbigg, citing a miscarriage of justice.
The Singleton mother was found guilty of murdering her three infant children, Patrick Allen (eight months), Sarah Kathleen (10 months) and Laura Elizabeth (19 months), more than two decades ago.
She was also sentenced for the manslaughter of her son Caleb Gibson (19 days).
The deaths took place between 1989 and 1999.
Although jailed for 30 years, Folbigg maintains her innocence, claiming the quartet died from natural causes.
Earlier in 2021, she lost her appeal to overturn the findings of a 2019 judicial hearing that also found her guilty of murdering her four children.
Now, leading Australian scientists are lobbying the NSW Attorney-General to recommend a pardon for Folbigg, who has spent almost 18 years behind bars.
The renewed call for her release comes almost six months after 90 eminent experts submitted a petition to NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, who’s waiting for advice from AG Mark Speakman.
In April, the Australian Academy of Science offered to brief Mr Speakman on new genetic evidence.
He, however, requested the new information be submitted via Folbigg’s legal representatives, which occurred in June.
The evidence includes latest peer-reviewed genetic findings by an international team of 27 scientists published in a top international cardiology journal, Europace, in November 2020.
It showed two of Folbigg’s children had genetic mutations that predisposed them to sudden death in childhood from lethal heart arrhythmias.
Forensic pathologists had declared natural causes of death for the other two children.
Australian Academy of Science president Professor John Shine is among the petition signatories and says there’s reasonable doubt about Folbigg’s conviction.
“The NSW Attorney-General now has sufficient medical and scientific evidence before him that provides an alternative explanation for the deaths of the Folbigg children, that carries more weight than the circumstantial evidence used to convict her,” he explained.
“We urge the NSW Attorney-General to expedite this matter and advise the NSW Governor to pardon Kathleen Folbigg and release her from jail.”
In a statement on Monday night, a spokesman for Mr Speakman said the Attorney-General could not advise the Governor until Folbigg’s legal team indicated it had submitted all its material.
“As the petitioner’s matter is the subject of continuing court proceedings and the Attorney-General continues to consider a petition on which he will advise the Governor, any further comment at this stage would be inappropriate,” he said.
- with AAP
