Dingo took Azaria from tent: inquest

A dingo attack is now officially the cause of Azaria Chamberlain’s death, 30 years after the nine-week-old disappeared from a campsite near Uluru.

Northern Territory coroner Elizabeth Morris handed down the findings this morning from the most recent inquest into the baby’s death.

Azaria’s death certificate, which currently puts her cause of death as “unknown”, will be altered to reflect the findings.

In her ruling, Ms Morris cited other examples of dingoes attacking children, as well as pointing out the existence of a dingo den less than 30m from where Azaria’s body was found.

Her parents Michael Chamberlain and Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton returned to Darwin for the verdict.

Handing down the verdict, Ms Morris held back tears while addressing Azaria’s parents directly.

“I am so sorry for your loss,” she said.

“Time does not remove the pain and sadness of the death of a child.”

Ms Morris told them that new death certificates would be available at the Births, Deaths and Marriages office attached to the Darwin courthouse.

Mrs Chamberlain-Creighton was convicted for the murder of Azaria in 1982, while Mr Chamberlain was found guilty of being an accessory after the fact and given a suspended sentence.

A royal commission exonerated both parents in 1987, but a 1995 coronial inquest failed to determine Azaria’s cause of death.


Author: Nick Pearson, @nickpearson87. Approving editor: Henri Paget.

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