Aussie officials confirm, "A dingo took the baby."

[logroller]

An Australian coroner has made a final ruling that a dingo dog took baby Azaria Chamberlain from a campsite in 1980 and caused her death.The decision was made after Azaria's parents presented new evidence to try to clear their names.
After the eight week-old baby went missing, they were charged with her disappearance. Her mother was convicted of her murder. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18404330

I think I heard about this on Seinfeld and thought it was just a joke...not so funny when you're convicted of murder.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18404330

I think I heard about this on Seinfeld and thought it was just a joke...not so funny when you're convicted of murder.
Certainly wasn't a joke. I believe they made a movie about it too. I always thought the child was taken by a dingo. As nothing pointed to the parents harming their own child!-Tyr

[Nell's Room]

This was the greatest miscarriage of justice we have seen, and I am glad for this ruling. I actually thought the judge would hand down an open verdict, so was surprised at the verdict that was delivered.

[mundame]

Certainly wasn't a joke. I believe they made a movie about it too. I always thought the child was taken by a dingo. As nothing pointed to the parents harming their own child!-Tyr

Yes! I read the book about this murder near the time it happened and was very intrigued. And I think Merryl Streep played the wife in the movie, IIRC.

I have always assumed it was this sort of sentimental love of dogs Aussies/English have that made the whole country assume that a dingo couldn't POSSIBLY have done it -----------

But what do they suppose dingos eat?

I think in America we have so many wild predators (Australia doesn't have so many) that we KNOW predators eat whatever they can catch.

I'm glad they cleared that up, finally.

[WiccanLiberal]

Given the problem we have with coyotes in this country, I had no doubt a dingo could have been responsible. There is a recent alert for folks in Connecticut as the varmints are believed responsible for the disappearance or death of five dogs. Human beings live or seek recreation in areas inhabited by predators, they had better be aware of that and take precautions.

[jimnyc]

While murder without proof is a no go, IMO - how does a mother/father leave an 8 week old baby in a position to be vulnerable to one of these things? Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but with the amount of animals and insects and other creatures they have roaming around over there, no way in hell I leave my 8 week old alone, not even for a second.

[logroller]

While murder without proof is a no go, IMO - how does a mother/father leave an 8 week old baby in a position to be vulnerable to one of these things? Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but with the amount of animals and insects and other creatures they have roaming around over there, no way in hell I leave my 8 week old alone, not even for a second.

That's why I always hang my kids high up in the trees. Don't want the bears getting em. :laugh:

[Nell's Room]

While murder without proof is a no go, IMO - how does a mother/father leave an 8 week old baby in a position to be vulnerable to one of these things? Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but with the amount of animals and insects and other creatures they have roaming around over there, no way in hell I leave my 8 week old alone, not even for a second.

If you put your baby in a tent, you expect her to be safe, not in harm.

[logroller]

If you put your baby in a tent, you expect her to be safe, not in harm.
Safe from wind and rain; not wild dogs.

[jimnyc]

If you put your baby in a tent, you expect her to be safe, not in harm.


Ummm, no. Only an irresponsible parent brings an EIGHT WEEKS old baby camping in a tent.

[Nell's Room]

Ummm, no. Only an irresponsible parent brings an EIGHT WEEKS old baby camping in a tent.

It was 1980, things were a lot different then.

[gabosaurus]

When my friend Sharon (who lives in Melbourne) was doing some research, she spent a few months in the Northern States. She was aghast that anyone would doubt the woman at all. When threatened, dingos are extremely mean and vicious. Any creature, large or small, that threatens a dingo habitat is not going to fare well.
Kangaroos are also extremely malicious.

[Dilloduck]

When my friend Sharon (who lives in Melbourne) was doing some research, she spent a few months in the Northern States. She was aghast that anyone would doubt the woman at all. When threatened, dingos are extremely mean and vicious. Any creature, large or small, that threatens a dingo habitat is not going to fare well.
Kangaroos are also extremely malicious.

They have bad ass snakes too and sharks.

[logroller]

They have bad ass snakes too and sharks.

I Would be quicker to allege negligence if they took the baby out in ocean. Camping, not so much. I always bring a sidearm when camping to dispatch such threats.

[Dilloduck]

I Would be quicker to allege negligence if they took the baby out in ocean. Camping, not so much. I always bring a sidearm when camping to dispatch such threats.

Lock and load---some of those poisonous snakes are on land.




("land shark")

[jimnyc]

It was 1980, things were a lot different then.

Yeah, sure, wild animals and insects and other vermin were all happy, jolly & friendly back in the 80's. :rolleyes:

[Drummond]

I suppose it's impossible to judge with total certainty .. but SURELY, Australians know the dangers of their own territory well enough to know that dingos could be a danger ? Seems to me that the parents were neglectful in the first place.

By the way, I see that a BBC link was offered on this ? Well ... I'm in the UK, so I watch the BBC's domestic output almost daily. It might interest people here to know that, for a while, this dingo story was THE lead story on their BBC News (formerly 'News 24') channel .. beating such stories as the Greek financial position and Syria massacres into obscurity by comparison (for a few hours, anyway).