Latest news with #KathleenFolbigg
ABC News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Kathleen Folbigg compensation payment opens dollar amount on wrongful imprisonment debate
Experts are calling for more transparency in the way compensation is calculated for people who are wrongfully imprisoned, after a $2 million payment offered to Kathleen Folbigg was slammed as "totally inadequate". On Thursday, NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley granted the payment to Ms Folbigg, who spent 20 years in jail after being wrongfully convicted in 2003 of killing her four children. Ms Folbigg walked free from prison in 2023, and last year she applied for a compensation payment. Premier Chris Minns defended the $2 million compensation payment on Friday after criticism that it was "grossly inadequate". Mr Minns said the figure was what the government could afford, adding that Ms Folbigg and her lawyers were free to pursue legal action if they wanted to seek a higher amount. The granting of compensation, known as ex gratia payments, is made at the discretion of the government. Legal and scientific experts say the payment offered to Ms Folbigg was another "miscarriage of justice" and point to flaws in the system. Eileen Baldry, an emeritus professor of criminology at UNSW, was among a group of senior legal experts who had lobbied for Ms Folbigg's conviction to be overturned. She said the 58-year-old has "lost all of her early and middle adulthood" as a result of her wrongful conviction. "The fact is, for 25 years Kathleen has not had the access to the life that many of us have had, a whole range of things that the majority of people take for granted," she said. Professor Baldry said this included everything from superannuation and building up a rental history, to forging relationships in the community. "You are completely separated from the rest of the world. Those connections and relationships we have in our 20s, 30s and 40s, she had none of that." She said it would be very difficult to start building up finances in someone's late 50s so suddenly. "Kathleen still lives with the stigma of having been in prison. And having originally been convicted, now there is some very good research that shows that, you know, in the colloquial term, mud sticks." Tracy Chapman, who is a long-time friend, said the $2 million compensation offered did not take Ms Folbigg's full circumstances into account. "Even though she's done some courses in prison, it was never enough to be able to get out there and work in the workforce." The amount of compensation offered in some of Australia's highest-profile wrongful convictions has varied considerably. Lindy Chamberlain was awarded $1.3 million from the federal government in 1992 for being wrongfully imprisoned for four years over the death of her daughter. Henry Keogh, who spent 19 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of his fiancée's murder, received $2.5 million from the South Australian government in 2018. Rachel Dioso-Villa, a senior lecturer at Griffith University whose research has focused on wrongful convictions, said the process for calculating ex gratia payments lacked transparency. "Can you put a number on it? Because we don't get to see just how hard her life is and how much it's shifted and changed," she said. "Considering the loss of family, job security, years of life lost, psychological trauma, and the associated stigma, [$2 million dollars] feels far too little." In a statement, a NSW government spokesperson said that because ex gratia payments were discretionary by nature, there was no formal criterion. "There are no set amounts that a person may receive when this discretion is exercised." While the premier has suggested Ms Folbigg and her lawyers could mount a legal challenge, others are unsure that is possible. In the ACT, David Eastman successfully challenged a $3 million ex gratia payment offered by that jurisdiction, after spending nearly two decades in jail for a murder he was found not to have committed. He was awarded $7 million under the territory's Human Rights Act in 2019. Bob Moles, a Flinders University expert on wrongful convictions, said unlike the ACT, NSW does not have a state Human Rights Act. He said this meant it was unlikely Ms Folbigg would be able to mount a legal challenge. "Two million dollars is abysmal, but the number of people who are wrongfully convicted and get nothing is significant." Dr Moles said the only legal avenue would be to sue for malicious prosecution, which would be "very difficult". "Most of your money will be spent on legal fees with little chance of success," he said.
The Australian
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Australian
Premier Chris Minns defends $2m payment to Kathleen Folbigg
Premier Chris Minns has defended a $2m payment to Kathleen Folbigg who was wrongfully jailed for 20 years over the deaths of her children, saying the money could not be not pulled from a 'magic pot.' The NSW Government faced backlash over the payment, with Ms Folbigg's lawyer Rhanee Rego calling it 'woefully inadequate and ethically indefensible'. Mr Minns said it was the most amount of money the government could allocate without pulling it from other important programs. 'It's not my money, I don't pull it out of my back pocket, it's the taxpayers of NSW money and it doesn't come from a magic pot,' he said. Kathleen Folbigg spent 20 years behind bars after she was found guilty of causing the deaths of her four children, but was freed in 2003 after new scientific evidence found there was reasonable doubt her children could have died from natural causes or a genetic mutation. Ms Folbigg spent two decades in prison after she was found guilty of causing the deaths of her four children, Patrick (eight months), Laura (10 months), Sarah (19 months) and Caleb (19 days) in 2003. While she was initially given a 30-year jail sentence, Ms Folbigg was released in 2023, after new scientific evidence indicated there was reasonable doubt her children could have died due to natural causes or a rare genetic mutation. The premier said the payment made to Ms Folbigg was non conditional, acknowledging larger settlements from other cases had occurred as a result of legal action. He said Ms Folbigg and her lawyer were free to sue the NSW Government, which would be dealt with if they chose to pursue legal action. Premier Chris Minns said Kathleen Folbigg and her lawyers were free to sue the NSW Government over her wrongful imprisonment after she received a $2m non-conditional payment. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard 'This is an ex gratia payment, we're not compelled to do it, we're not currently in litigation,' he said. 'If there were further litigation, we don't take the $2m off the table, we accept that this is an ex gratia, non conditional payment to Ms Folbigg. 'There's no (non disclosure agreement) involved and there's no future action that cannot be pursued by Ms Folbigg or her lawyers,' he said. 'But you have to appreciate it's not my money, this is public money we'd have to take from another initiative.' Lawyer Rhanee Rego, Kathleen Folbigg and friend Tracy Chapman, Picture: NewsWire / Christian Gilles Ms Rego told Nine News on Thursday that the system had failed her client once again. 'Kathleen lost her four children; she lost 20 of the best years of her life; and she continues to feel the lasting effects of this ongoing trauma,' she said. 'The payment does not reflect the extent of the pain and suffering Kathleen has endured. This should be about the system recognising the significance of what it did to her.' Ms Rego indicated that they would go back to the government for a better payout. 'We will keep fighting because the government should not be able to think that they can provide a figure like this for taking away two decades of someone's life,' she said.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Paltry $2m payment is not justice for Kathleen Folbigg
Kathleen Folbigg's solicitor's assessment that the compensation offered to Folbigg is 'a moral affront – woefully inadequate and ethically indefensible' couldn't be more accurate (' Folbigg set for $2m state payout ', August 8). Twenty years in prison and $2 million in compensation does not take into account her lost life, lost working years and lost superannuation, for starters. If she is able to obtain employment now, the number of working years left is limited and so is her superannuation. Assuming she doesn't own a property, she is unlikely to be able to buy one in this booming property market, nor is she likely to be able to acquire a mortgage, let alone service one. Folbigg deserves a break after being totally screwed by the system. Olga Stosic, Gordon The Minns government is mean in awarding Kathleen Folbigg just $2 million for her wrongful imprisonment for a significant part of her life. In 1992, Lindy Chamberlain received a $1.7 million payment for three years' wrongful imprisonment. In today's terms, this is worth more than $560,000 a year. Thus, rightly, Folbigg's compensation should be significantly greater than the amount offered. Hasn't she already been through enough without having to fight the government for just compensation? Meg Pickup, Ballina My 13-year-old son just did the quick calculation of a correct and fair compensation for Kathleen Folbigg in line with what Lindy Chamberlain received after her release in 1988. Adjusted for inflation, the figure was $19 million. Benjamin Rushton, Birchgrove How was it that former political staffer Brittany Higgins received a $2.4 million compensation payout – on the balance of probabilities that she was raped – and Kathleen Folbigg received only $2 million after a gross miscarriage of justice and 20 years' false imprisonment? Where is the justice here? Pastor de Lasala, Seaforth AI's lies no surprise Waleed Aly says nobody knows why AI is starting to tell outright lies (' Hard to stay calm in face of AI storm ', August 8). The likely cause is 'lies in, lies out', to paraphrase an old aphorism. AI models trained on content produced by humans will have many examples of lies. For instance, feed AI the pronouncements of Donald Trump and you train it to lie. Ditto for material sourced from many other politicians, CEOs, influencers et cetera. We are surrounded by lies and AI will simply reflect or copy that. Also, AI is now being trained on content generated by AI. So we will be receiving lies based on lies. The promoters of AI want us to focus on jobs and productivity because the other effects of AI will be so socially ugly – false images, false attribution of statements and phoney research. Major technological changes such as the wheel, the steam engine and the light bulb generated social change through economic change, but they didn't create a world of lies, deceit and misuse of personal information. Steven Lee, Faulconbridge Waleed Aly says researchers are mystified that AI is behaving in ways its inventors don't understand, most notably giving answers that are untrue, and which it knows to be untrue. Despite being an inferior form of AI myself – Average Intelligence – I believe I know the cause: AI has been trained by humans, so why wouldn't it lie? After all, if another form of AI – Alien Intelligence – arrived on earth today and asked to be taken to our leader, who would they meet in the Washington White House? Paul McShane, Burradoo Bang on target What an outstanding article by David Livingstone (' Let's scuttle AUKUS before it sinks ', August 8). He tells us that, despite their best intentions, the UK's nuclear attack submarines are currently all being repaired or awaiting repairs, and that their military forces 'are so depleted that they could not repel an invasion of the UK itself'. On top of that, Trump's 'America first' policy makes any commitment from the US extremely doubtful. Among all his incisive comments about AUKUS, we also get humour, a good quote from Shakespeare and a perfect use of semi-colons. More David Livingstone, please. Virginia Howard, Mosman What else in Reserve? You report that the Reserve Bank of Australia supports think tank the Centre for Independent Studies. Is it appropriate for the RBA to donate to any such organisation? Indeed, is it legal? Would governor Michele Bullock let us know to which other politically partisan lobbyist organisations taxpayers are obliged to make donations channelled through the 'independent' RBA? Philip Bell, Bronte Palestinian perspective Penny Wong laid it straight when she said that if reluctant countries don't act soon, there will be no Palestine left to recognise (' Israel 'intends to' take over Gaza, Netanyahu says as security cabinet meets ', August 8). I don't believe a word of Netanyahu's claim that he doesn't want permanent control of Gaza. Truth is the first casualty of war; after that, it's mostly civilians, as we've seen to our horror. So come on, Anthony Albanese, forget about a Trump backlash and get on board with France, the UK, Canada and others in an official policy shift to recognise a Palestinian state. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills I am bemused by Mervyn Cross' suggestion that 'instead of blocking the Harbour Bridge, if the 90,000 protesters each donated a minimum of $20 to an appropriate charity … this would have been a more practical way to relieve the starving in Gaza' (Letters, August 8). Sorry, but what about the blockade preventing food trucks and medical supplies from entering Gaza? How would sending money help? Please explain. Gay Shanahan, Glenbrook I cannot more profoundly disagree with Mervyn Cross. Firstly, his characterisation of marchers as self-righteous is misguided and unkind. He does not know each of them or their motivations. Secondly, he seems to forget that the Israeli war machine will not let any aid into Gaza. Nevertheless, millions of Australians already regularly donate much larger amounts than $20 to charity. Kate Coates, Wangi Wangi Pharma chameleon The American healthcare system is rigged in favour of Big Pharma (' Trump flags 250% tariffs on medicines,' August 8). It's crony capitalism gone mad, with a tangle of obscene favours and special privileges surrendered to giant pharmaceutical corporations. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed legislation that prohibited even the US government from bargaining for drug prices, effectively giving Big Pharma a blank cheque. They aren't just making record profits to recover research costs: they're making record profits because they can price drugs exactly as they want to. In America, it's open season on the patient. If you're seriously ill and need life-saving medication, the choice is brutal: pay up or die. That's not healthcare, it's extortion. Does anyone in Australia really want to go down this path? Bruce Spence, Balmain Commission's count Is the law such an ass as to allow losing Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian to have costs awarded against Independent member for Bradfield Nicolette Boele in the current High Court appeal (' The battle for Bradfield arrives in court – three months after the election', August 8)? If mistakes were made in the vote count, how is it not the fault of the Australian Electoral Commission? Surely, either candidate is an innocent victim – or victor – of the process, and cannot be held accountable for mistakes made by the AEC. Dick Clarke, Elanora Heights Minns' hunting misfire Is Premier Chris Minns losing his grip? His approach to the Gaza protests was untidy, and his capitulation to the gun lobby is shocking. Creating a 'right to hunt' will normalise the use of guns and knives and add to their prevalence in the community. Why should taxpayers fund a hunting agency controlled by hunters' appointees? Experts say recreational hunting is ineffective for pest control. How can visitors feel safe when shooters use high-powered rifles and silencers in state forests? Joan Reilly, Surrey Hills (Vic) Heritage overlooked I cannot agree with reader Jon King, who supports the Powerhouse Museum rebuild (Letters, August 7). The museum's award-winning Wran Building and the Galleria are only 37 years old, but according to Infrastructure NSW, the structure was at the end of its life and didn't meet current building codes and standards (' Powerhouse Museum rebuild accused of trashing heritage significance ', August 7). On this basis, the Powerhouse management has decided to demolish and rebuild both structures. This could set a precedent. Historic buildings such as Sydney's Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building will need to be inspected and rebuilt if they do not meet current building standards. The reality, of course, is somewhere else. The current management is working to its own agenda that has nothing to do with what the Powerhouse Museum was. They have shown no respect for heritage as they already turned Parramatta's St George's Terrace into a facade and demolished the historic Willow Grove. Garry Horvai, Pennant Hills Come to Boorowa Almost everyone seems to agree that this country is sorely in need of more housing, especially for those people who work in essential public services. Yet, the announcement of every prospective housing project provokes strong public opposition, obviously from people who already have homes (' Backlash over 'unit city' plans,' August 8). It seems the opposition stems from those who fear the loss of any part of their privileged lifestyle. Perhaps people should be prepared to accept that choosing to live in a large city means a higher density and ongoing development. If more space is their thing, perhaps they should move to the country to take advantage of the clean air and the nice people who live there. Derrick Mason, Boorowa The Inner West Council is proposing to remove the car parks that service the shops at Dulwich Hill and hand the land over to developers (' Plan to cram 31,000 more homes in Sydney's inner west splits opinion ', August 8). These car parks are full every day. Council might dream of a future where everyone walks to the shops, but the reality is that for many a walk to the shops is a walk too far, especially if carrying heavy grocery bags. Dulwich Hill shops is a vibrant community and is an asset we can ill afford to lose. If the car parks go, the shops will go and we stand to lose vital services like the bank and post office. Council needs to learn a lesson from Parramatta Rd. A lack of parking leads to boarded-up and graffitied shopfronts. Dulwich Hill shops must be saved and included in any proposed development of Marrickville Rd. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill It should bring comfort to older Australians who can't afford to rent a modest property of their own (' Housing crisis forces older people to share ', August 8) that on the opposite page we read that a Belleview Hill homeowner will be forced to rattle around in an oversized marble mausoleum without the benefits of a communal fridge and rostered chores (' Home has the same marble as Michelangelo's David', August 8). Thank goodness we no longer think much about class in this country – it would do our heads in. Colin Stokes, Camperdown Shot to rot No, Ron Driscoll, there is nothing 'humane' about the culling of horses in Kosciuszko National Park (Letters, August 7). The horses are shot from the air and are left to die where they fall, however long that may take. It is a sad and confronting image, seeing their bodies left to rot throughout the park. Damage by humans and development is far more detrimental to the park. Ann Anderson, Waverton Lots of slots Reading Tom Gurn's article (' Can Tetris help with mental health? Evidence is building', August 8) reminded me of the time I was having much difficulty packing a dismantled bed frame I had bought into my SUV. Along came the seller's young son who quickly and neatly fitted the pieces into the vehicle, no problem. I thanked him and complimented him on this skill, to which he replied: 'That's from spending too many hours on Tetris.' So yes, Tetris works. Manbir Singh Kohl, Pemulwuy Tax(idermy) haven Why indeed did Scots College spend $13,000 on a scruffy old stuffed camel (' Michelle finds a forever home', August 8)? Like its new home in the ridiculously expensive Scottish-style castle, it serves no educational purpose whatsoever. Is this another elevation in the interschool rivalry? Will we see Shore buying a stuffed elephant (white or otherwise) next? While private schools bleat about not being able to pay council rates like every other local user, purchases such as this do little to support their credibility. Peter Cooper-Southam, Frenchs Forest If Scots College bought another camel or two and put them all in its fairytale castle, it would have its very own Camelot. Merilyn McClung, Forestville Buffed bosoms The distinction for the most highly polished bare breasts in the world must go to Juliet's statue in Verona, Italy (Letters, August 8). The elegant statue does not need Brasso to maintain its lustre – the willing hands of hordes of tourists line up daily to cheerfully undertake this task. Joy Nason, Mona Vale Take flight, Mango Is Mango the parrot safe, or has it moved into witness protection disguised as a flamingo (' Chatty parrot brings down drug gang ', August 8)? Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay Postscript Sunday's march for Gaza brought Sydneysiders of all stripes together in what turned out to be an uplifting display of unity, regardless of its contentious beginnings. Before the eleventh-hour court decision permitting the march, readers were divided on whether it should go ahead, for quite varied reasons. The practical Ron Field spoke for many. 'These people wishing to disrupt traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge do not help the situation in any way.' Ross MacPherson took it further. 'Everybody with an axe to grind will be after the same privilege.' Hugh Wolfenden wasn't worried about the inconvenience. 'Protest marches with tribal flag-waving and potential violent escalation only divide our society,' he wrote. As it turned out, the march came off well, if not a bit wet, with no violence or injuries reported. On the contrary, wrote Bill Munro, who quoted organiser Josh Lees: 'It was a beautiful, inspiring outpouring of humanity.' The heavy police presence spoiled it for some, though, who objected to being directed hither and thither in what acting deputy commissioner Peter McKenna described as 'close to a catastrophic situation'. 'Police decided to trap the crowds in the confined space of the bridge with no way back or forward,' wrote David Snell. 'Poor planning, poor decision-making and poor communication,' Siobhan Mullany said. But Carolyn Quadrio didn't know what all the fuss was about. 'The only danger I could see was a few piles of horse manure, courtesy of the police mounted unit.' Premier Chris Minns' opposition to crossing the bridge added to his growing political challenges. As well as 90,000 people, 20 per cent of his caucus put their boots on and joined the march. Herald faithful Nicholas Triggs expressed many readers' sentiments: 'Backflips on regulating the gambling industry, watering down tenants' protections, and now opposition to the march – somebody should suggest it's time he spent more time with his family.' With Gaza still under siege, no end to Russia's war on Ukraine and famine in war-torn Sudan, this week's 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made Bernard Moylan wonder whether humanity would ever learn that there are no winners in war. 'Does the human species actually have an inherent death wish?' he pondered. Michael Lowing summed it up: 'War is, and always has been, hell. If we don't remember the full scope of wartime suffering, we risk repeating it.' Now if only those in power would take heed. Ivan Hemens, Letters editor
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 8 August 2025
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . Convicted Kiama MP Gareth Ward has quit the New South Wales Parliament, just before it was due to vote on his expulsion. He had previously resisted calls to resign while he awaits sentencing for sexual assault offences. The motion to expel the 44 year old was expected to have widespread bipartisan support. Both Premier Chris Minns and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman had previously said his presence in the lower house was no longer tenable. A compensation payment offered to Kathleen Folbigg after she was wrongfully convicted of killing her children and jailed for decades has been savaged by her supporters. NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley has confirmed the government will make an ex gratia payment to the now 58-year-old, more than a year after a claim was submitted to the government. He says Ms Folbigg requested details of the payment not be publicly shared, but her solicitor Rhanee Rego has confirmed she had been offered $2 million. Greens MP Sue Higginson has described the offer as a slap in the face, while Ms Rego has told Channel 9 the amount is a moral affront. "The government thinking that 20 years of taking a woman's life away after the loss of her four children, to return to a world where she has no job prospects, no superannuation, no life? That that is worth 2 million dollars? That is why we say it is really unfair." A new report has found up to a third of schools in Queensland are in poor condition. The Department of Education's Comprehensive Review of Infrastructure Renewal report says there is a maintenance backlog which could cost an estimated $441 million to address. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek has blamed the report's findings on the previous Labor government, saying it is evidence the party did not spend enough on schools during their term in office. "This is a report that Labor commissioned because they knew there were issues. These were issues we had last time we were in government when we had a significant maintenance backlog. And it's clear they knew about the issue. And the report shows they under-invested in maintenance, and that's to the detriment of our teachers and students." New US tariffs for more than 90 countries around the world have come into effect. In a post on social media, US President Donald Trump has celebrated the commencement, which includes rates such as 50 per cent for goods from Brazil, 39 per cent from Switzerland, and 35 per cent from Canada. He has also announced a new tariff of 100 per cent on foreign computer chips that is likely to increase the cost of electronics and household appliances. He says there will be one big exemption. "We're going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors. But the good news for companies like Apple is if you're building in the United States or have committed to build, without question committed to building the United States, there will be no charge." Britain's minister for homelessness has resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government following a row over claims that she evicted tenants from a property she owns. The I-Paper Daily reported that Rushanara Ali had given four tenants four months to leave her London home and then leased it again a few weeks later with the rent more than 700 pounds ($940) higher. Ms Ali has said in a letter to Starmer that she had followed all legal requirements. But she says continuing in her role would have distracted from the work of the government. Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake has told ITN the former minister's actions are hypocritical. "She has spoken out about exploited tenants, about providing more protections for tenants. You can't say those things and then do the opposite as a landlord." Triple-murderer Erin Patterson is due before court today in Melbourne, a month after being convicted of killing three of her estranged husband's family members. The 50 year-old is expected to appear via a video link from prison, where she is awaiting sentencing for serving a lunch laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms in July 2023. Dates for her pre-sentence hearing, known as a plea, are expected to be set today. The plea is an opportunity for victims and their loved ones to give statements about the impact of the crime on their lives.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
NSW Premier Chris Minns defends $2m payment to Kathleen Folbigg who was wrongfully jailed for 20 years
Premier Chris Minns has defended a $2m payment to Kathleen Folbigg who was wrongfully jailed for 20 years over the deaths of her children, saying the money could not be not pulled from a 'magic pot.' The NSW Government faced backlash over the payment, with Ms Folbigg's lawyer Rhanee Rego calling it 'woefully inadequate and ethically indefensible'. Mr Minns said it was the most amount of money the government could allocate without pulling it from other important programs. 'It's not my money, I don't pull it out of my back pocket, it's the taxpayers of NSW money and it doesn't come from a magic pot,' he said. Ms Folbigg spent two decades in prison after she was found guilty of causing the deaths of her four children, Patrick (eight months), Laura (10 months), Sarah (19 months) and Caleb (19 days) in 2003. While she was initially given a 30-year jail sentence, Ms Folbigg was released in 2023, after new scientific evidence indicated there was reasonable doubt her children could have died due to natural causes or a rare genetic mutation. The premier said the payment made to Ms Folbigg was non conditional, acknowledging larger settlements from other cases had occurred as a result of legal action. He said Ms Folbigg and her lawyer were free to sue the NSW Government, which would be dealt with if they chose to pursue legal action. 'This is an ex gratia payment, we're not compelled to do it, we're not currently in litigation,' he said. 'If there were further litigation, we don't take the $2m off the table, we accept that this is an ex gratia, non conditional payment to Ms Folbigg. 'There's no (non disclosure agreement) involved and there's no future action that cannot be pursued by Ms Folbigg or her lawyers,' he said. 'But you have to appreciate it's not my money, this is public money we'd have to take from another initiative.' Ms Rego told Nine News on Thursday that the system had failed her client once again. 'Kathleen lost her four children; she lost 20 of the best years of her life; and she continues to feel the lasting effects of this ongoing trauma,' she said. 'The payment does not reflect the extent of the pain and suffering Kathleen has endured. This should be about the system recognising the significance of what it did to her.' Ms Rego indicated that they would go back to the government for a better payout. 'We will keep fighting because the government should not be able to think that they can provide a figure like this for taking away two decades of someone's life,' she said.
