Australia's 'Worst Female Serial Killer' Will Remain Behind Bars After Losing Last-Ditch Appeal

Kathleen Folbigg will remain behind bars after losing a last-ditch appeal to get her conviction overturned.

Dubbed Australia's 'worst female serial killer', Folbigg was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for killing her four children Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura.

The children all died suddenly in their sleep over a 10-year period from 1989 to 1999 and their mum was prime suspect number one.

A last-ditch appeal was launched and aided by a team of 90 experts who claimed the children could have died as a result of a genetic mutation.

The team signed a petition and sent it to NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, arguing that the 'miscarriage of justice' cannot be allowed to carry on any longer.

The group said in a statement: "Not to do so is to continue to deny Ms Folbigg basic human rights.

"Ms Folbigg's case establishes a dangerous precedent as it means that cogent medical and scientific evidence can simply be ignored in preference to subjective interpretations of circumstantial evidence."

The Court of Appeal heard how the four children had pre-existing conditions like seizures, breathing difficulties and respiratory infections.

Sarah and Laura Folbigg had a genetic mutation from their mother known as CALM2, which can cause sudden cardiac death.

Solicitor Rhanee Rego said in a petition signed by the large team: "It's one of the best-recognised causes of sudden death, both awake and asleep, in infants and adults.

"If it's triggered by things like intercurrent infections or drugs like pseudoephedrine, this can actually trigger a cardiac arrhythmia.

"This is what the group of scientists have now found as the likely explanation of Sarah and Laura Folbigg's death."

However, the court has rejected the notion that the mutations could have caused all four deaths.

It ruled that while the genetic mutations were present in the girls, the boys had 'no common cause'.

That revelation, in tandem with Folbigg's diary entries, provided enough basis for the judge that 'there was no reasonable doubt' to her guilt.

The ABC reports Folbigg was convicted on 'circumstantial evidence', with prosecutors using the mother's diary entries to suggest Kathleen was to blame.

One entry said: "I feel like the worst mother on this earth. Scared that she'll leave me now like Sarah did. I knew I was short-tempered and cruel sometimes to her, and she left. With a bit of help."

Folbigg has also been ordered to pay court costs to the NSW Attorney General and will remain behind bars.

Featured Image Credit: Channel 9

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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