Kathleen Folbigg, once branded “Australia’s worst mother” but later exonerated after spending 20 years in prison for the deaths of her four babies, has been offered A$2 million in compensation by the government. Her lawyer, Rhanee Rego, has described the offer as “profoundly unfair and unjust,” stating that it does not fairly account for the suffering Ms Folbigg endured during her wrongful imprisonment.
Ms Folbigg was convicted in 2003 of murdering her three children and manslaughter of another, based on circumstantial evidence and diary entries that prosecutors alleged showed her unstable nature. However, a landmark inquiry in 2023 found that her children could have died from natural causes due to rare gene mutations, leading to her release from prison. Given the length of her imprisonment and the severity of her case, legal experts had estimated that Ms Folbigg could expect one of the highest compensation payouts in Australian history, potentially upwards of A$10 million or even A$20 million, as reported by local media.
Ms Rego compared the offer unfavorably to the compensation received by Lindy Chamberlain, another mother falsely convicted of murder. Chamberlain was awarded A$1.7 million for three years of wrongful imprisonment, while Ms Folbigg spent two decades in prison. “The system has failed Kathleen Folbigg once again,” Ms Rego said, emphasizing the inadequacy of the offer.
New South Wales Attorney General Michael Daley stated that the decision on compensation was based on “thorough and extensive” consideration of Ms Folbigg’s application. The government has chosen not to publicly discuss the details of the decision further, at Ms Folbigg’s request. This stance has only added to the controversy surrounding the compensation offer.
