Kathleen Folbigg, once labeled "Australia's worst mother," is now recognized as a victim of a severe miscarriage of justice, having been offered A$2 million (£975,580, $1.3 million) in compensation for her 20 years of wrongful imprisonment. Folbigg was convicted in 2003 for the deaths of her four infants, but a judicial review in 2023 revealed that they may have perished from a genetic condition, leading to her exoneration.
Despite legal experts estimating her compensation could exceed A$10 million, her attorney, Rhanee Rego, criticized the government’s offer as "profoundly unfair and unjust." Rego stated, “The sum offered is morally offensive and ethically indefensible,” emphasizing the failure of the system to acknowledge Folbigg's suffering.
New South Wales Attorney General Michael Daley stated the compensation was derived from careful consideration of Folbigg's application, agreeing not to disclose specific details as per her request. Between 1989 and 1999, her four children—Caleb, Patrick, Sarah, and Laura—died suddenly, with prosecutors claiming their mother smothered them based on circumstantial evidence, including her personal diaries portraying her as emotionally unstable.
Originally sentenced to 40 years in prison, Folbigg's term was reduced to 30 years on appeal. Despite maintaining her innocence, a landmark inquiry determined that genetic mutations could be responsible for her children's deaths. Rego further highlighted the disparity of the compensation, comparing it to the $1.7 million awarded to Lindy Chamberlain in 1994 after her wrongful conviction related to her infant daughter's death.
Experts, including forensic criminologist Xanthe Mallett and Professor Gary Edmond from the University of New South Wales, opined that Folbigg's compensation could justifiably surpass A$10 million, with local reports suggesting potential damages might reach A$20 million.
