Accused: Trial in the Outback TV -
The following is a true story that gripped the world. In August 1980, Lindy, Michael and their 3 children were on a camping holiday at Uluru (Ayres Rock) in Australia. Their baby daughter, just two months old, disappeared. Lindy claimed a dingo took and killed the baby. The authorities claimed Lindy murdered her baby. It became the trial in the outback that gripped the world. Accused: Trial in the Outback I, captions, Channel 5 2020
Two weeks into her life sentence, Lindy went into labour. ibid.
Seventh-Day Adventist Pastor Michael Chamberlain and his wife Lindy took their young family for a camping holiday to central Australia. ibid.
All night long their was a frantic search. Aboriginal trackers, park rangers and searchers found dingo tracks. The next day Michael and Lindy gave their statements to the police. ibid.
[Dennis] Barritt was critical of the police and the inadequacy of its investigation. And the failure of the Northern Territory government to act on a warning that dingos posed at Uluru. ibid.
The first inquest found that Michael and Lindy Chamberlain had nothing to do with Azaria’s death but formally introduced the notion of human intervention. ibid.
The trial of Lindy Chamberlain for the murder of her daughter, and Michael Chamberlain as an accessory, was expected to run for six weeks. It was billed as the Trial of the Century. ibid.
The local Darwin jury was subjected to claim and counter-claim of forensic evidence. ibid.
‘A guilty verdict: I felt calm but numb.’ ibid. Lindy
Across the country a grass-roots movement took shape. Led by the Seventh Day Adventist community, the eyewitnesses and ordinary citizens who believed a grave miscarriage of justice had occurred. ibid.
Fuelled by sensational headlines the public rushed to judgment. The first Coronial inquest was held in Alice Springs. Accused: Trial in the Outback II
Lindy was allowed one precious hour with her new daughter Kahlia. ibid.
Over the next five months the Chamberlain defence team presented their case to the federal court. They tried to introduce new evidence from witnesses. ibid.
‘Get over yourself and take a stand. You’ve got to have balls to say this in Darwin – you’re wrong.’ ibid. Lindy
MPs seek release of Lindy on licence. ibid. newspaper article
The Northern Territory government took no action. ibid.
Channel 9 phone poll: Do you think Lindy Chamberlain should be released on compassionate grounds? Yes: 39.3%; No: 60.7%. ibid.
Searchers made a startling discovery … ‘The discovery of a baby’ matinee jacket has given new impetus today to calls for a federal government inquiry into the Azaria Chamberlain case’ … This new evidence forced the Northern Territory government to act. ibid. news
Lindy and Michael had their convictions quashed. ibid.