It’s been a tough two years since Kathleen Folbigg was released from prison, having been unjustly locked up for two decades.
She served 20 years of a 25-year sentence for the murder of three of her children, Laura, Patrick, and Sarah, along with the manslaughter of her first child, Caleb.
In 2023, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal overturned her convictions on all charges.
However, two years on, Kathleen admits that while she’s adapted to life on the outside, she’s still struggling.
“I’ve moved back into Newcastle, returning back to where I went to high school and stuff, but I just can’t find a rental, it’s so hard and I guess I’m single, have a dog, no job,” Kathleen, 57, told news.com.au.
“I’ve been lucky enough that my friend has let me put my stuff in storage and sleep on the couch.
“It’s two years down the track, so yeah, I feel like things can be a bit of a struggle.”
Kathleen was granted an unconditional pardon following new scientific findings.
NSW attorney-general Michael Daley said Kathleen and her daughters, Laura and Sarah, carried a rare genetic variant, known as CALM2-G114R, which cast doubt on her convictions.
In July 2024, Kathleen’s lawyer Rhanee Rego applied on her behalf to receive an ex gratia payment to compensate her for spending a third of her life behind bars.
As recently as February, Ms Rego confirmed the NSW Government has not given her a timeline, taken calls, or met to discuss the case. She described the lack of response as “devoid of humanity”.
It’s believed Kathleen could claim millions of dollars in damages.
“What happened to me could happen to anyone. I had an extremely rare condition that couldn’t be found until this genetic testing became available, and what’s to say it won’t happen to someone else?” Kathleen said.
“Genetic testing should be cheaper for anyone who wants to double-check they don’t have something abnormal like I did, and in my case, the worst happened.”
“If you’re going to accuse a parent of harming a child, the first stop should be going down the genetic road, not the last stop, which landed me in jail for 20 years.”
