SYDNEY (AP) 鈥 An Australian court will consider overturning a woman鈥檚 convictions for killing her four children, a government inquiry reported on Wednesday months after she was pardoned for the crimes due to new evidence that the siblings had died of natural causes.
Overturning Kathleen Folbigg鈥檚 convictions would end a legal battle that has reached the highest level of Australia鈥檚 court system to clear her of responsibility for her children鈥檚 deaths, which happened over a decade between 1989 and 1999.
Folbigg, 56, was freed in June after spending 20 years in prison when the New South Wales state government pardoned her on three counts of murder and one of manslaughter.
The pardon was based on the interim recommendations of a state inquiry into new scientific evidence that created reasonable doubt that Folbigg had smothered her children, as prosecutors had alleged at her trial.
The inquiry鈥檚 final report recommended on Wednesday that the state Court of Criminal Appeal consider clearing Folbigg鈥檚 criminal record.
Folbigg鈥檚 lawyer, Rhanee Rego, welcomed that recommendation as 鈥渁nother significant positive milestone in Kathleen鈥檚 24-year journey to clear her name.鈥
鈥淭oday, and every day, Kathleen鈥檚 thoughts are with her children,鈥 Rego said in a statement.
