38% Of Respondents Were Neutral About Pardoning Kathleen Folbigg’s Case

Kathleen Folbigg, an Australian woman pardoned after 20 years in prison for the murder of her four infant children by the governor of New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Governor of New South Wales Margaret Beazley granted Folbigg a full pardon based on a new expert report that found no evidence linking her to the deaths of her children and highlighted flaws in the original medical evidence used to convict her.

The decision to pardon Folbigg comes after years of doubt surrounding her guilt. In 2019, the expert report raised questions about her conviction, stating that there was “reasonable doubt” and highlighting the use of “flawed medical evidence” and “junk science” in the case.

The case of the Australian woman pardoned after 20 years in prison sheds light on the fallibility of the criminal justice system in modern society and serves as a significant development in the fight against wrongful convictions. The pardon sends a powerful message that mistakes made by the justice system must be acknowledged and rectified.

Following Folbigg’s release, Real Research, an online survey app, conducted a survey to gauge public opinion on the case, providing an opportunity for wider engagement and discussion on this significant event.

Highlights

• 38% of respondents support Kathleen Folbigg’s pardon.
• 20.74% believed Folbigg’s pardon would increase public trust in the justice system.
• Nearly half (46.23%) stated that miscarriages of justice are common.

According to the survey on the pardoning of woman wrongly convicted of murdering her children, we found that 36% of the respondents were unaware of Kathleen Folbigg’s case, compared to 34% who were vaguely aware and 30% who were well aware.

The Attorney General of New South Wales ordered the release of Kathleen Folbigg on June 5, 2023, following the preliminary findings of an inquiry that raised reasonable doubt about her guilt in all four deaths of her children.

The inquiry, led by retired judge Tom Bathurst, heard evidence that all four children could have died from natural causes, including rare genetic abnormalities.

According to our survey of the Australian woman pardoned after 20 years in prison, we found that 38% of respondents remained neutral about Folbigg’s pardon, while 32% opposed the pardon and 30% supported the pardon.

Similarly, we then asked the respondents whether Folbigg should receive compensation for her time in prison. The results showed that a majority (53%) said yes, whereas 18% said no. Meanwhile, 29% remained unsure.

According to the Australian woman pardoned after 20 years in prison survey data, when we asked how Folbigg’s case and the subsequent pardon would impact public perceptions of the criminal justice system in Australia, a notable 23% of the respondents remained unsure.

33% said it would increase public trust in the criminal justice system more, compared to 11% who said otherwise. Meanwhile, 11% said it would not impact public trust.

Examining Miscarriages of Justice: Assessing the Frequency in the Criminal Justice System

In the next survey poll, we asked the respondents whether they felt that miscarriages of justice were common in their country of residence’s justice system. Nearly half of the respondents (46%) said yes, while 23% said no, and 31% remained unsure.

Measures to Curb the Occurrence of Miscarriages of Justice

According to the next poll about the Australian woman pardoned after 20 years in prison, we asked the respondents what measures were required to prevent such cases.

Most respondents (37%) said through more systems involving ordinary citizens in judicial judgment, 22% suggested a thorough investigation process, 14% said strengthening forensic evidence collection and analysis, and 9% said through improved police investigation training.