Kathleen Folbigg still restricted from living a truly free life

Kathleen Folbigg may be free from prison but she is far from free of the shackles of being a long-time inmate.

Kathleen Folbigg may be free from prison but she is far from free of the shackles of being a long-time inmate.

She is not allowed to meet the child of her beloved godson – nor any of her loyal friends’ grandchildren for that matter – as she is still listed on the NSW Child Protection Register and therefore considered someone who is a danger to children.

Until she is exonerated, the mother of four who has spent the last 20 years in jail must continue to live under strict conditions.

“It pisses me off that I can’t have my lifelong friend meet my granddaughter,” said Megan Donegan, whose belief in Folbigg never wavered.

“Kathleen is my son’s godmother but Alex had to get his own daughter minded so he could catch up with Aunty Kath. Even when we would talk to her on video calls from jail there could be no kids in the room. It’s been tough.

Kathleen Folbigg with old High School friends (L-R) Megan Donegan, Billi-Jo Buckley, Folbigg and Tracy Chapman.

“I couldn’t have my own kids there to see her until they were old enough.”

Folbigg is a step closer to being exonerated after the final report of Tom Bathurst KC found “there is an identifiable cause of the death of Patrick, Sarah and Laura” and that it was “more likely” that an acute life-threatening episode suffered by Kathleen’s second child Patrick “was caused by a neurogenetic disorder rather than suffocation”.

Mr Bathurst also said the “reasonable possibility” that Ms Folbigg’s first child Caleb died of unknown natural causes “has not been excluded”.

He agreed to a request from Folbigg to refer her case and his report to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal to consider quashing her convictions. The case has been listed in the Supreme Court on Thursday.

Folbigg has been living on the property of her close friend Tracy Chapman who says “she’s free but not free”.

“It’s been a really difficult road, so we just hope the future is brighter.”

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