Kathleen Folbigg, who spent 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing her four children, has been offered A$2 million in compensation by the New South Wales government.
Her legal team has called the offer unfair and deeply inadequate.
Folbigg, once labelled “Australia’s worst mother,” was convicted in 2003 over the deaths of her four children — Caleb, Patrick, Sarah, and Laura — who died suddenly between 1989 and 1999.
The prosecution argued she smothered them, relying largely on circumstantial evidence and her private diary entries.
She was sentenced to 40 years in prison, later reduced to 30 on appeal.
Throughout her imprisonment, Folbigg maintained her innocence. In 2023, following a judicial inquiry, new scientific findings revealed that rare genetic mutations could have caused the children’s deaths.
The evidence cleared her and led to her release.
Despite the gravity of the wrongful conviction and two decades behind bars, Folbigg’s lawyer Rhanee Rego said the government’s compensation offer falls short of what is reasonable.
She compared the payment to the A$1.7 million granted to Lindy Chamberlain in the 1990s after just three years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction.
Legal observers and academics had predicted that Folbigg’s payout could reach A$10–20 million, possibly becoming the highest in Australian history.
But on Thursday, it was confirmed that the state had offered only A$2 million.
Attorney General Michael Daley stated that the government’s decision came after thorough consideration, and at Folbigg’s request, the details will not be publicly discussed.
Folbigg’s case, once marked by controversy and public condemnation, is now regarded as one of Australia’s most serious miscarriages of justice.
Her legal team is pushing for a higher amount that reflects the time lost and the impact on her life.