Will we learn anything from the Azaria Chamberlain case?

[basilio]

After 32 years the NT coroner made the definitive statement on how Azaria Chamberlain died. She was taken by a dingo.

Her parents had absolutely nothing to do with the death of their 10 week old baby at Ayers Rock.

The couple of years after Azarias death saw the Chamberlain family vilified by press, police and NT politicians. Many of the most lurid stories about the family were just lies to sell papers. The forensic evidence was a joke. The combination of inflamed public opinion , tainted evidence and deliberate political interference resulted in Lindys wrongful conviction as the murderer of her baby girl.

How bad does that sound ?

The discovery of Azarias jacket immediately led to Lindys release from prison when it became clear she had not murdered her child. It's taken another 24 years to formerly recognise how Azaria died. The Coroner made a personal apology to the family in recognition of the horror of what had happened to them over 30 years.

Yesterday the comedian Wendy Harmer also apologized for her skits on the case.

Will the media or the public learn anything from this case ? Will we be more thoughtful about jumping to judgments ? Will we take a stronger approach to papers who just sensationalise stories for sales ? Should we have better safeguards to prevent this continuing to happen ?

What are other ASF members memories of the time and subsequent events ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azaria_Chamberlain_disappearance
http://www.theage.com.au/national/g...er-broadcaster-says-sorry-20120613-2091e.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil_Angels_(film)

 

[Glen48]

Re: Will we learn anything from the Azaria Chamberlain case ?

I read were a retired NT copper said the babys clothes had been shifted so maybe he trying to cash in on the story or its true, which then raises more questions.
If it had of been Mr.and Mrs Darwin Stubs on a camping trip in his fourby it would have been all over in no time.

 

[Miss Hale]

It really was, I think, the first full blown case of trial by media. I recall very clearly only a day or two after it happened one of my school teachers saying that she didn't trust the mother and there was something fishy about it all - appalling case of pre-judgement now I think about it .

I've been impressed with how the Chamberlains have gone about this too; they seemed calm but determined and no real signs of bitterness from Lindy Chamberlain.

 

[pilots]

What about the fact they had the worlds best scientist telling us it was kids blood in the car, now we have the worlds best scientist telling us about climate change.

 

[Julia]

I've been impressed with how the Chamberlains have gone about this too; they seemed calm but determined and no real signs of bitterness from Lindy Chamberlain.

Yes, I was amazed at her generous spirit in this regard. I can't imagine the horror of losing your child and then being wrongly accused, tried and imprisoned. Injustice on top of acute grief. I don't think I'd be so forgiving.

Some might see parallels with Schapelle Corby?

I was still living in NZ when Azaria was taken, and the case was big news even there for some time.

 

[Lantern]

IMHO Australia should hang it's collective head in shame for the way the Chamberlains were treated.
30 freaking years for Christ sake!

 

[Smurf1976]

32 years is beyond a joke.

Roughly half the people living in Australia today weren't even born back in 1980, such is the ridiculous length of time this has taken. An entire generation has grown up with this in the news, all for nothing it now seems.

Nothing can correct that incredible waste of life, and by that I mean the parents not the child. 32 years of living in what must have been outright hell - their life is about as close to ruined as you can get short of a major illness or being sentenced to life in prison for committing an actual crime.

I'm not generally keen on compensation for this, that and everything else but in this case I do feel it to be justified as the whole saga is a national disgrace.

 

[johenmo]

I don't know. I'd like to think there would be more caution about jumping to a conclusion about any situation that is unusual but I'm sure the police get pressured for a result in a lot of cases, especially high profile. Forensics should be better 32 years on. I think there will be some learning from it, but as time passes who knows.

Forgiving - a lot of people would be bitter. I too don't know if I could be forgiving and have remained so composed in public - the frustration would have leaked out. I recall a radio interview some years back with an American woman who visited prisons working with offenders. What made it remarkable was what happened to her & how she forgave. To get an idea of the horror of the crime perpetrated against her & the level of her forgiveness, a backpacker tortured & killed her boyfriend, raped her repeatedly in all ways possible then slit her throat & left her to die on the side of the road. The american winter apparently kept her alive long enough to be found and "saved". He was caught & she watched him die in the chair. The comments that stayed with me was along the lines of... that after he'd died she didn't feel any release. She was still hating him. And it was then that she realised that unless she could forgive him she'd be full of hate for the rest of her life. And after that she decided that she wanted to work with offenders to try to help them.

Like that woman, the Chamberlains have shown a strength of spirit in a situation that would crush many people. Perhaps a bitter-sweet victory.

And the cost - financial and their marriage. Wonder how the kids are?