Brief background of the accused
Lindy Chamberlain and her husband Michael were both born in New Zealand. They were married on 19 November, 1969. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Tasmania where they lived for 5 years.
During that time, their first child Aiden was born in 1973. After Lindy received her dressmaking, tailoring and drafting certificate in 1974, the small and happy family moved to Northern Queensland where their second son, Reagan was born. Soon after, they moved to Mt Isa where on 11 June 1980 Azaria Chantel Loren Chamberlain was born.
Facts of the case
In August 1980, Lindy and Michael took their three children on a family camping trip to Uluru in the Northern Territory. Azaria was 2 months old. On the second night
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The first inquiry supported the Chamberlain’s account and the magistrate found that a dingo had taken Azaria. However, the Supreme Court over-ruled these findings and ordered a second inquest in December 1981. In this trial, Lindy Chamberlain was found guilty of Azaria’s murder and Michael Chamberlain of being an accessory after the fact.
In February 1986, Azaria’s knitted jacket, which the police claimed did not exist, was found partly buried next to a dingo lair near Uluru. Five days later, Lindy Chamberlain was released from prison, and her life sentence was cancelled by the Northern Territory Government.
In 1987, a Royal Commission began investigating the matter further. It was found that the ‘baby blood’ in the Chamberlain’s car was most likely a chemical compound, mixed with milkshake and copper dust. It was also found that DNA testing at the time of Azaria’s death was
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What were the social consequences of this crime and the subsequent trial?
The circumstance of Lindy Chamberlain’s trial caused incredible stress upon her and her family. Her marriage to Michael broke down. The lives of Lindy and Michael’s children were hugely affected, life for them was never the same after the tragic loss of their little sister. Aiden and Reagan the older brothers of Azaria were forever known for the circumstances of their sister and mother. They would always be known as “Azaria Chamberlain’s brothers” or “Lindy chamberlain’s sons”. Aiden and Reagan’s lives were far from normal, the situations of their parents and sister were always a subject for the media.
The story has been the subject of several books, films and television shows, and other publications and accounts.
The Azaria Chamberlain case is a reminder that the criminal justice system does get it wrong, with each error bearing its own human cost. Lindy Chamberlain’s conviction was based largely on the use of unreliable or improper forensic science during the