Infant Death Exonerations

nfant deaths are every parent's worst nightmare-and when grief is compounded by wrongful accusation, the result is a lifelong catastrophe. Infant Death Exonerations: The Folbigg Case - A Practical Guide for Families, Advocates and Professionals examines how misunderstandings of medical evidence, rare genetic conditions, and entrenched biases can turn tragedy into a criminal conviction. Centered on the Kathleen Folbigg case and linked to other infant death exonerations worldwide, it shows how shaken baby syndrome allegations, SIDS diagnoses, and ambiguous autopsy findings can be misread in court, and how emerging genetics and forensic science are changing the landscape.

Written in clear, accessible language, the book explains how infant deaths are investigated, where evidence commonly goes wrong, and how tunnel vision, flawed expert testimony, and systemic failures can produce miscarriages of justice. It highlights warning signs of defective investigations, points to new medical and scientific developments, and outlines practical steps families, defence teams, innocence projects, and journalists can take when a baby's death is treated as a crime. Both a case study of the Folbigg exoneration and a broader roadmap for reform, this guide is essential reading for lawyers, doctors, forensic pathologists, child protection professionals, and anyone concerned about how the criminal justice system handles sudden infant deaths.