NT Government in stalemate with Chamberlains over apology about treatment following death of baby Azaria

“SERIOUS consideration” won’t be given to the matter of a formal apology for the family of Azaria Chamberlain until they submit a request for one, but the family’s lawyer says they have no plans to do so

Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton with baby Azaria at Uluru in 1980.

THE Chamberlain family won’t beg for a long-awaited apology from the Territory Government about their treatment after baby Azaria’s death.

Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said Cabinet would not give “serious consideration” to an apology to the family of the baby girl snatched from her tent by a dingo 38 years ago until a formal approach was made.

The apology was the final wish of Azaria’s father Michael Chamberlain before he died at the age of 72 last January from complications from acute leukaemia.

At that time, Ms Fyles said she would consider an apology.

Stuart Tipple, who represented Azaria’s mother Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton during her trial for the infant’s murder and who remains a close friend of the family, said the Chamberlains were owed an apology, but had no intention of asking for one.

“Lindy naturally would like an apology, but she has been quite emphatic there is no way she is going to formally request one,” he said. “If she did formally request it and it was made, she would feel it would lose the real impact the apology could and should make.

“If you’ve got to keep asking someone to apologise, if the apology comes, it’s hardly worth anything.”

Mr Tipple said the NT Government should show some “statesmanship” by issuing the apology without being “badgered” into it.

In a statement, Ms Fyles said the matter remained: “under consideration” and that the Government would work with the family to reach a “mutually acceptable outcome” – once a request was made.

Ms Fyles said the Chamberlains received an apology from deputy coroner Elizabeth Morris at the 2012 inquest into Azaria’s death, after which an amended death certificate was issued. But Mr Tipple said that was incorrect.

“For anyone to suggest she did apologise to them is quite wrong,” he said.

At the inquest, Ms Morris offered her “sympathy” to the family and added that she was “so sorry” for their loss.