Prosecutors now doubt imprisoned mother killed her children

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prosecutors have acknowledged that new scientific evidence leaves reasonable doubt that an imprisoned Australian mother deliberately killed her four children. A retired judge is hearing final submissions in an inquiry into whether Kathleen Folbigg should be pardoned. Her children all died before their 2nd birthday from what their mother says were natural causes. New South Wales state prosecutor Sally Dowling told the inquiry it could conclude there is reasonable doubt of Folbigg’s guilt. The hearing was adjourned until Thursday. The judge could recommend that she be pardoned and could report to an appeal court to consider quashing her convictions. Evidence submitted to the inquiry showed her daughters had a genetic variant and one son had a neurogenetic disorder.