A woman once called Australia’s “worst serial killer” will now fight to have her sentence overturned after being given a pardon for the deaths of her children, her lawyers announced on Tuesday.
Kathleen Folbig was convicted in 2003 of the deaths of her four young children, who died without explanation between 1989 and 1999.
The 55-year-old woman was jailed despite a lack of forensic evidence linking her to the children’s deaths, and has defended her innocence during 20 years in prison.
In recent years, scientific advances have revealed genetic mutations that help explain why some of the children died, paving the way for Folbig’s release on Monday.
Although he was released, Folbig must follow a different legal process to have his conviction overturned.
The woman’s lawyer, Renee Rego, said Australia’s judicial system “failed her at every turn” and it took too long for authorities to reopen the case.
The Australian Academy of Science, which played a central role in the Folbig case, called his conviction “the largest miscarriage of justice” in the country’s history.
Folbig was released on Monday from a prison in Grafton in northern New South Wales state, where she was serving a 25-year sentence.
Her friend Tracy Chapman said Folbig is slowly coming to grips with the wonders of modern technology like smartphones and on-demand television.
“The phone put her off a little bit. Even with the TV she was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it has so many features,'” she said.
