Azaria inquest

Press, 20 November 1981, Page 7

Azaria inquest

NZPA Darwin Moves for a new inquest into the death of Azaria Chamberlain, the bady alleged to have been carried away by a dingo at Ayers Rock, are expected within days. The Northern Territory Attorney-General and Chief Minister (Mr Paul Everingham) is believed to be preparing to direct that an application for the new hearing be made to the Supreme Court. Grounds are likely to be that significant new evidence had been collected since the Alice Springs Coroner (Mr Denis Barritt) delivered his original finding in Feburary. After taking evidence for three weeks the Coroner found'that a dingo took the •nine-week-old Azaria from the tent of her parents Michael and Lindy Chamberlain at the Ayers Rock camping ground in August last year. He found that Azaria was disposed of by a person or persons unknown. New evidence is expected to flow largely from the work of a w’orld-renowhed forensic scientist. Professor James Cameron of London. It was the result of his examination of items associated with the death that led to Mr Everingham formally announcing that the inquiry was being reopened on September 19. The police commissioner (Mr Peter McAulay) who returned at the week-end from an Interpol conference, was also reported to have had talks with Professor Cameron in London last week. Both the police and Mr Everingham’s office are so far maintaining their standard response of “no comment" to all inquiries on orogress in the investigation.