Folbigg’s sentence was reduced in 2005 to a maximum of 30 years in prison for the murder of her children Patrick,Sarah,and Laura,and the manslaughter of her first child,Caleb. The sentence commenced in April 2003 and she is eligible to apply for parole after 25 years,in 2028.
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The children died aged between 19 days and 18 months over a 10-year period,from February 1989 to March 1999.
Speaking toAustralian Story from prison,Folbigg said her diary entries were"written from a point of me always blaming myself". She maintains her children died of natural causes.
In the diary entries,Folbigg wrote that"stress made me do terrible things"and wrote of her fourth child Laura in December 1997:"She's a fairly good natured baby,thank goodness,it will save her from the fate of her siblings. I think she was warned."
The state government confirmed the review cost approximately $2.4 million including legal representation,genetic testing and medical reports. Other costs including the use of a courtroom were absorbed by the Department of Communities and Justice.
A NSW government spokesperson said:"The report of the inquiry has dispelled community concern regarding Ms Folbigg’s convictions and ensures public confidence in the administration of justice.
"Community confidence in our criminal justice system is critical and the recommendation to conduct the inquiry was the appropriate course of action in this case."
Julia Quilter,a criminal law expert and associate professor at the University of Wollongong,said a large number of applications were made for judicial review of convictions and most ended with"no direction for an inquiry to be held".
The test for whether an inquiry should be held was whether"the material causes the person considering the matter unease or a sense of disquiet in allowing the conviction to stand".
Dr Quilter said:"it has to be a very rare case that meets this type of threshold".
"I think it's really important that we do have a process like this. It's not an appeal;we do need to have some latitude in those,hopefully rare,cases where a miscarriage of justice has occurred."
While the review was expensive,Dr Quilter said"I don't know that we can put a figure on justice".
"I would always advocate that these sorts of inquiries if they meet the threshold and that process needs to be followed fully,and that may well be costly."