Here's how genome study could free a woman convicted of killing her four babies

In Australia, a woman, who was convicted for killing her four babies, may be freed from prison after genomic testing showed at least two of her children apparently died due to heart complications. According to CNN, the scientific community in Australia has urged the governor of New South Wales to pardon the woman named Kathleen Folbigg, who has already spent 18 years in prison. Folbigg’s four babies had died between 1989 and 1999.

Folbigg was sentenced to forty years in prison by the Supreme Court of New South Wales, which based its sentence on the now-discredited Meadow’s law. The scientific principle was based on a perception that not all children from one parent can die of natural causes. The principle propagates the concept “one sudden death of a baby is tragedy, second death is suspicious, third is a murder”. Folbigg’s lawyers argued that she is innocent and cited a lack of conclusive evidence to shorten her sentence from forty to thirty years, of which 20 years without parole. 

The study and aftermath

However, last year a genomic study suggested that Folbigg’s all four babies could have died of natural causes. Folbigg's lawyers approached the Centre for Personalised Immunology at Australian National University with a request to conduct genome sequencing and see if mutations were responsible for her children's death. After conducting tests on Folbigg's genome, scientists found that a previously unreported variation in the CALM2 gene, which was also detected in the two daughters. CALM2 gene controls flow of calcium from heart cells. 

The study showed at least two of Folbigg’s children died due to heart conditions, which may be caused due to mutations in their CALM2 genes. The study prompted more than 90 scientists to write to the governor of New South Wales to pardon Folbigg. The group of scientists, who wrote the letter to the governor, include two Australian Nobel laureates.