Australia - Carol Matthey, 26, denies killing 4 of her children, 1998-2003

Angelrat

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Victorian mum in Australia Carol Matthey has been committed to stand trial for the murders of her four young children between 1998 and 2003.

The 26-year-old from Bannockburn, south-west of Melbourne, pleaded not guilty to suffocating her two sons and two daughters aged from nine weeks to three years.

Previously, coroners had found seven-month-old Jacob and his two-month old sister Chloe died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Three-month-old Joshua was found to have died of a rare infection, klebsiella septicaemia, while three-year-old Shania died the day after falling off a table.

In court, supported by her father-in-law, Matthey displayed no signs of emotion when Melbourne Magistrate Duncan Reynolds found there was enough evidence to send her to trial on four counts of murder in the Supreme Court on July 4.
He granted her bail and she had already provided an $80,000 surety and surrendered her passport.

Outside court, Matthey's lawyer John Butler said he was confident a jury would clear his client, whom he described as a loving mother.

"In the end, we really believe that Carol will be acquitted," he told reporters.

"She has done nothing wrong, she has looked after her kids, she loves her kids.

"She is just an ordinary, caring mum and she has lost four kids. It is a uniquely sad case."

Mr Butler said it would be a long road for Matthey before the allegations against her were put to a jury.

He said pre-trial legal processes in the case could take up to a year after the July 4 directions hearing set down for his client.

In his written judgment, Magistrate Reynolds said pathologists from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Science found "human intervention" did not cause the siblings' deaths.

He said their opinions were at odds with other expert witnesses who examined the autopsies, including forensic pathologist Allan Cala.

Dr Cala found the injuries to Shania's nose and mouth suggested the application of "external pressure" to those areas at the time of her death.

American forensic pathologist Dr Janice Ophoven, who has performed more than 1,200 autopsies on children, told the committal hearing she had never seen a proven case of multiple SIDS in one family.

Magistrate Reynolds said a jury would have to evaluate the clashing opinions from expert medical witnesses.

"In my view, it is properly the function of a jury in the circumstances of this case to consider and come to a determination upon the conflicting expert evidence," he said.

"I consider that a jury could be satisfied to the requisite standard (beyond reasonable doubt) on all the evidence that each of the children died as a result of non accidental suffocation and that the perpetrator was the defendant."
 
The prosecution has dropped its case against a Victorian mother accused of murdering her four young children between 1998 and 2003.
Carol Matthey had pleaded not guilty to suffocating her two sons and two daughters aged from 9 weeks to 3 years.

Wow.


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=94646
 
4 children????
And the smile on her face......
Well, she won't be smiling when she meets her maker.
 
Four babies in one family dead? It sure sounds suspicious to me, despite what the judge says.
 
2410_matthey2_lg_9.jpg
 
Okay, the one death due to infection is provable, but the other 3, I'm not convinced weren't murder, SIDS and a head injury are highly suspicious!!!:snooty: :snooty: :snooty:
 
No it wasnt Squish:doh: ..Ive fixed it now:)
 
Thanks, dingo.
Wow-unbelievable. At least she is in jail.
Actually, I'm glad you put the wrong link up first. I hadn't seen a photo of the little boy found in the duck pond. Gosh, was he a cutie. :(
 
The prosecution has dropped its case against a Victorian mother accused of murdering her four young children between 1998 and 2003.
Carol Matthey had pleaded not guilty to suffocating her two sons and two daughters aged from 9 weeks to 3 years.

Wow.


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=94646

Four children dying from the same family sure sounds suspicious, but the prosecutors must have their reasons, I just hope it wasnt due to a technicality or a loop hole in the evidence or how the case was handled as sometimes that is the case. If this mother is guilty and got off because of this, I would love to be the one to wipe the smirk of her face.
 
so what exactly was the evidence that she DID kill her children,, other than the fact that their deaths 'seem' suspicious....?
 
I think it had a lot to do with the fact that she was surrounded by so many dead children that made her look suspicious.
 
Four children dying from the same family sure sounds suspicious, but the prosecutors must have their reasons, I just hope it wasnt due to a technicality or a loop hole in the evidence or how the case was handled as sometimes that is the case. If this mother is guilty and got off because of this, I would love to be the one to wipe the smirk of her face.

According to the article, the judge threw out some medical evidence and I guess that harmed the prosecution's case...
 
According to the article, the judge threw out some medical evidence and I guess that harmed the prosecution's case...

I cannot believe it, I am not saying she is guilty or innocent, but the judge throwing medical evidence out of court has stunned me, why couldnt they let a jury decide, we will never know for certain how those children died, only the mother and maybe some of the medical staff or the coroner will know what happened, but the medical news that was inadmissable will never be seen.

I watched an update on this case on the news and the smile on her face did not sit well with me, she could have been smiling because she was innocent and that was recognised or she could have been smiling because she beat the system which happens.

But if those cameras were on me I would not be smiling, she lost 4 children. I know it was a while ago that she lost them, but at least she could have shied away from the cameras, Im sure as hell I would try to hide or sneak away from the cameras. It just doesnt seem right.
 
The prosecution has dropped its case against a Victorian mother accused of murdering her four young children between 1998 and 2003.
Carol Matthey had pleaded not guilty to suffocating her two sons and two daughters aged from 9 weeks to 3 years.

Wow.


http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=94646

This judge sounds like a real prize. Headline should read: "Logic not allowed in the courtroom."

From the same link...

Justice Coldrey limited medical experts to being able to state that asphyxia was a possible cause of death, rather than determining this was the actual cause of death.

He also ruled out the prosecution using "circumstantial evidence" that the rarity of four infants from the one family dying could lead to medical conclusions about individual causes of death.

And, he said, prosecution evidence that the children were with Ms Matthey when they died could not be used by the medical experts on which to base their opinions.
 
Things that make you go Hmmmmmm.....she either one very lucky lady or one very unlucky lady...I cant decide which.
 

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