Kathleen Folbigg Granted $2 Million Compensation After Wrongful Imprisonment

The New South Wales Government has approved a $2 million compensation payment to Kathleen Folbigg, following her exoneration after spending 20 years in prison for the deaths of her four children.

The state's Attorney-General confirmed the payment but said the government would not publicly discuss the details of the compensation, following a request from Ms Folbigg.

Folbigg was convicted in 2003 of killing her four children - Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura - between 1989 and 1999. A jury found her guilty of three counts of murder and one count of manslaughter. However, her convictions were quashed in 2023 after new scientific and medical evidence cast serious doubt on the case.

In 2024, Ms Folbigg lodged a formal application for compensation for her wrongful imprisonment.

Despite the payout, Folbigg’s solicitor, Rhanee Rego, has strongly criticised the amount offered, saying it falls far short of what is appropriate given the decades of suffering Folbigg endured.

"After spending two decades behind bars, Kathleen Folbigg has been offered $2 million - a sum that does not reflect the gravity of her wrongful imprisonment," Ms Rego said in a statement.

"She continues to feel the ongoing trauma. This should be about recognising the immense injustice done to her, and this payment does not come close."

Ms Rego drew comparisons to the 1994 exoneration of Lindy Chamberlain, who received $1.7 million in compensation after serving three years in prison.

"The system has failed Kathleen again," she added. "First in her wrongful conviction, then through her mistreatment in prison - and now, with a compensation payment that shows contempt rather than accountability."

Ms Rego is calling for a public inquiry into how the government determined the compensation figure.

"An inquiry is needed to understand how this decision was made. Kathleen’s fight should be over, yet she continues to bear the weight of a system unwilling to fully acknowledge its wrongs."