The case of Australian mother Kathleen Folbigg, who was convicted 20 years ago of killing her four children before they reached the age of two, has come back into the spotlight. Judges who reviewed her case and lawyers involved have determined that the most likely cause of the children's deaths, each occurring separately, is due to genetic disorders, including a cleft palate. The British newspaper "The Guardian" reported that Australian authorities have decided to grant the mother a pardon and release her after 20 years in prison.
In a press conference on Monday, New South Wales Attorney General Michael Daly announced that Folbigg received an "unconditional pardon" and will be released from prison "without delay" based on preliminary findings from the review of her conviction. Folbigg, now 55 years old, was convicted in 2003 of suffocating her children—Caleb, Patrick, Sarah, and Laura—each of whom died before their second birthday. Reports stated that "she found them, one after another, lifeless in their cribs." She was sentenced to 40 years for murder with no chance of parole for 30 years, which was later reduced to 25 years after an appeal.
All four children died separately between 1989 and 1999, with ages ranging from 19 days to 19 months. Daly commented, "This has been a horrific ordeal for everyone involved, and I hope our actions today will bring some conclusion to this 20-year issue." He added that Craig Folbigg, the children's father, had been informed of the decision.
Daly confirmed that Clarence Correctional Centre, where the mother was serving her sentence, had been instructed "to take care of her" following the decision. He continued, "I think we should all put ourselves in Ms. Folbigg's position and give her the space she needs to move on with her life, without harassing or pursuing her in any way." He stated, "This has been a 20-year ordeal for her."
In 2021, a group of 90 researchers submitted a petition for the mother's pardon, describing her situation as a "miscarriage of justice." The scientists stated, "There is no medical evidence" supporting the prosecution's case that Folbigg suffocated each of her children. Instead, the group believes the children may have died due to genetic reasons.
In 2018, geneticists found that both Sarah and Laura had a mutation in the CALM2 gene, which can cause sudden death in infants and children, according to the petition. An autopsy conducted at the time of death showed that Patrick, who died at 8 months old, had epilepsy. His death was attributed to airway obstruction due to a seizure and infection. Caleb's death at 19 days old was reported as a result of sudden infant death syndrome.
In the petition, researchers argued that the mother's conviction was partially based on a distorted theory suggesting that the probability of more than two children from a family dying of genetic causes is so unlikely that it may indicate intentional homicide.
