
Major blow for Kathleen Folbigg after she was pardoned over the deaths of her four children
Ms Folbigg received an unconditional pardon and was released from Grafton jail in June 2023 after an inquiry found there was 'reasonable doubt' about her guilt.
In 2023, she was convicted and sentenced to 30 years behind bars for the suffocation murders of three of her children and manslaughter of a fourth.
The children, Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura, died between 1989 and 1999 at ages ranging from 19 days to 18 months.
Since being pardoned and having her convictions quashed in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal in December 2023, Ms Folbigg's lawyers indicated they would be seeking compensation from the state.
However, Attorney-General Michael Daley has refused to meet with Ms Folbigg despite her pardon.
NSW Premier Chris Minns' office has also not responded to her lawyer's communication attempts, which were sent as far back as August 2024.
Ms Folbigg's lawyer Rhanee Rego labelled the lack of communication and information from the state government as 'ludicrous'.
Ms Rego said the state government has not provided them with a timeline or any information about the compensation process or whether Ms Folbigg would be granted recompense.
'Despite repeated requests, I've received no substantive information – there is a pattern of avoidance that is becoming increasingly indefensible,' Ms Rego told The Daily Telegraph.
'Kathleen's case is one of the most significant wrongful convictions in recent Australian history. The fact that no one in government is willing to meet with her speaks volumes.'
Ms Folbigg added her life was 'still on hold' as she waited for a decision on whether she will be compensated for serving 20 years in jail.
'I just need this to be resolved so I can begin to rebuild and move forward,' Ms Folbigg said.
Since her release, Ms Folbigg has been living in Newcastle and has been unable to work.
Ms Folbigg claims she has been unable to work and has not received any support from the state government, which has impacted her life as she struggles with the cost of living and finding a place to rent.
Attorney-General Michael Daley has the sole decision on whether to award Ms Folbigg compensation.
Mr Daley refused to provide any information about Mr Folbigg's compensation process after he was questioned by upper house independent MP Robert Borask.
'Ms Folbigg's application is under active consideration,' Mr Daley replied.
'It is important that the matters raised in Ms Folbigg's application are carefully considered.
'Until such consideration has concluded it would not be appropriate for me to comment any further,' he said in response.'
The Attorney-General's office also claimed Ms Folbigg's application was under consideration, adding Mr Daley did not deem it 'appropriate' to meet with her.
Experts have estimated Ms Folbigg could be compensated from as little as $1million to a whopping $20million for spending 7,300 days in jail.
In 2023, West Australian man Scott Austic received $1.3million on top of an earlier payment of $250,000 after serving nearly 13 years for the murder of his pregnant secret lover.
Both payments were voluntary, with Ms Austic having sought $8.5million after being acquitted in 2020 on appeal.
David Eastman was awarded $7million in damages by the ACT Supreme Court in 2019 after his wrongful conviction for the murder of Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Colin Winchester.
Ms Folbigg was initially sentenced to 40 years in jail for the murder and manslaughter of her four children.
However, two years after her conviction, the court reduced her sentence to 30 years with a non-parole period of 25 years.
In 2018, NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman announced there would be a landmark Special Commission of Inquiry into Ms Folbigg's conviction.
She served 20 years behind bars before a landmark Special Commission of Inquiry found there was reasonable doubt over her guilt.
New scientific and medical evidence which related to a rare genetic condition was presented before the inquiry.
The rare genetic variation was a 'reasonably possible cause' of Sarah and Laura's deaths, according to cardiology and genetics experts.
Myocarditis - a disease which causes inflammation of the heart - was another possible cause of Laura's death.
Patrick may have died from a neurogenetic disorder, which could have also hospitalised him before his death, experts told the inquiry.
Meanwhile, reasonable causes for their deaths undermined the tendency reasoning used to convict Folbigg of Caleb's manslaughter.
Ms Folbigg always maintained her innocence and in June 2023 was pardoned and walked free, with her conviction quashed later that year in December.
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