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Change Azaria's death certifcate: Chamberlain

Lindy Chamberlain has marked 30 years since her baby disappeared with calls to change her death certificate to say a dingo killed her.

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Lindy Chamberlain has marked 30 years since her baby Azaria disappeared with calls to change her death certificate to say a dingo killed her.

Chamberlain published an open letter on her website, in which she says she has forgiven 'everyone involved in creating the fiasco of the last thirty years and the public so willing to believe the worst and spread nasty rumours'.

The long and at times vitriolic letter calls on Australians to demand better from their justice system, as well as referring to Hitler before calling for a change in the death certificate.

Azaria disappeared on August 17, 1980 at the age of eight weeks on a family camping trip to Uluru. Her parents told police that she had been taken from their tent by a dingo.

Her mother was convicted of murder after an intensely public trial in 1982, and was released three years later when Azaria's jacket was found in area full of dingo lairs.

Azaria's body was never found and the case remains unsolved, but the case for a dingo attack has been strengthened over time as more attacks occurred and discounted testimonies - including that of an Aboriginal tracker - became public.

"In light of all the evidence before the Commission, this should be reflected on her death certificate and not the open finding that is there now," Chamberlain wrote.

"It is not like the eyewitnesses are dead or that there was not a recommendation from the Royal Commission and the NT Supreme Court who quashed our convictions. It would not take more taxpayers (sic) money to do it," she added.

"These courts were exhaustive, why not adopt their recommendations and stop wasting everyone's time, money and intelligence," Chamberlain wrote.

The cause of Azaria's death remains 'open' on her death certificate, reflecting the conclusion of a third coroner's inquest in 1995.

"Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain died at Ayers Rock on 17 August 1980. As to the cause of her death and the manner in which she died the evidence adduced does not enable me to say. I therefore return an open finding and record the cause and manner of death as unknown," the coroner wrote.


2 min read

Published

Updated

By Lisa Zilberpriver

Source: SBS


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