Australian inquiry asks whether mom smothered her 4 children
An Australian inquiry has began investigating whether a woman convicted of smothering her four children to death over a decade ago might be innocent
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian inquiry began investigating on Monday whether a woman convicted over a decade ago of smothering her four children to death might be innocent.
The inquiry by retired New South Wales state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Bathurst is the second judicial investigation into Kathleen Folbigg’s convictions in 2003 and reflects advances in genetic science that add weight to her argument that her children died of natural causes.
The first inquiry by retired District Court Chief Justice Reginald Blanch concluded in 2019 that there was no reasonable doubt that Folbigg, now aged 55, murdered her children Sarah, Laura and Patrick and was guilty of the manslaughter of her firstborn, Caleb.
The start of the new inquiry in Sydney is focusing on a rare CALM2 genetic variant present in both daughters. Research into the variant published last year, after Blanch’s report, found that it might cause heart arrhythmias and sudden death in young children, lawyer assisting the inquiry Sophie Callan said at the outset of the hearing.
