Death of Azaria Chamberlain
Azaria Chamberlain and her mother, Lindy
|
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| Date | 17 August 1980 (aged 2 months 6 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | Uluru (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia |
| Cause | Declared legally dead on 12 June 2012 (32 years later) "...the result of being attacked and taken by a dingo". |
| Inquiries | Royal Commission of inquiry into Chamberlain convictions (1986–1987) |
| Inquest |
1. "..the likely cause was a dingo attack.." (1980–81);
2. Committed Lindy Chamberlain for trial (1981–82); 3. Open finding (1995); 4. "...a dingo was responsible..." (2012) |
| Coroner |
1. Denis Barritt;
2. Gerard Galvin; 3. John Lowndes; 4. Elizabeth Morris |
| Suspect(s) |
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| Accused | Lindy and Michael Chamberlain |
| Charges |
|
| Convictions |
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Azaria Chamberlain (11 June 1980 – 17 August 1980) was an Australian 2-month old baby girl who was killed by a dingo on the night of 17 August 1980 on a family camping trip to Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) in the Northern Territory. Her body was never found. Her parents, Lindy and Michael Chamberlain, reported that she had been taken from their tent by a dingo. Lindy Chamberlain was, however, tried for murder and spent more than three years in prison. She was released when a piece of Azaria's clothing was found near a dingo lair, and new inquests were opened. In 2012, some 32 years after Azaria's death, the Chamberlains' version of events was officially confirmed by a coroner.
An initial inquest held in Alice Springs supported the parents' claim and was highly critical of the police investigation. The findings of the inquest were broadcast live on television—a first in Australia. Subsequently, after a further investigation and a second inquest held in Darwin, Lindy Chamberlain was tried for murder, convicted on 29 October 1982 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Azaria's father, Michael Chamberlain, was convicted as an accessory after the fact and given a suspended sentence. The media focus for the trial was unusually intense and aroused accusations of sensationalism, while the trial itself was criticised for being unprofessional and biased. The Chamberlains made several unsuccessful appeals, including the final High Court appeal.
After all legal options had been exhausted, the chance discovery in 1986 of a piece of Azaria's clothing in an area full of dingo lairs led to Lindy Chamberlain's release from prison. On 15 September 1988, the Northern Territory Court of Criminal Appeals unanimously overturned all convictions against Lindy and Michael Chamberlain. A third inquest was conducted in 1995, which resulted in an "open" finding. At a fourth inquest held on 12 June 2012, Coroner Elizabeth Morris delivered her findings that Azaria Chamberlain had been taken and killed by a dingo. After being released, Lindy Chamberlain was paid $1.5 million for false imprisonment and an amended death certificate was issued immediately.
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Wikipedia