Chamberlains angry at delay in compensation

Press, 30 May 1989, Page 24

Chamberlains angry at delay in compensation

NZPA Sydney Sydney Lindy and Michael Chamberlain have launched a bitter attack on the Northern Territory government for refusing to act on their claim for sAust4 million (SSM) compensation. Government officials in Darwin say they want details of the Chamberlains’ finances before they process the claim. A Melbourne newspaper, the “Sun,” has quoted Mr Chamberlain saying: “The Northern Territory government has never accepted that we are innocent. “It still treats us as guilty people even though we have gone through all these trials and inquiries. “It’s a very sad state of affairs when a government won’t even recognise its own court find-

ings.” The Chamberlains are seeking compensation for personal suffering after their convictions over the disappearance of their baby Azaria at Ayers Rock in August 1980. In spite of Mrs Chamberlain’s strenuous claims that a dingo dragged away her daughter, aged nine weeks, she was convicted of murder and jailed for life in 1982. After serving three years of her sentence she was pardoned. In 1987 a Royal commission cleared the couple of any involvement in Azaria’s death and their convictions were formally quashed last year.

Mrs Chamberlain told the “Sun” that the Northern Territory government was asking unnecessary details of income and ex-

penditure to see if they were entitled to compensation. “If we give them that information, what guarantee can they give us of confidentiality because we have not received any of that in the past,” she said. “If they believe us, they wouldn’t be going through all these delays and extra trauma. They would simply make an ex-gratia payment immediately."

Mr Chamberlain has rejected assurances from the stsate government that the information would be treated confidentially.

Previous information given had been leaked to the news media, he said. Any compensation would be used to repay legal costs and for personal compensation over the wrongful convictions. The Chamberlains are believed to owe between

sAustl.2 million and sAust2M in legal fees with other costs covered by a long-term loan from the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Both are writing books on their experiences of the last eight years. They hope the sale of the books will offset some expenses. Mr Chamberlain scoffed at suggestions that he had bought luxury cars. “The Torana I bought for sAustssoo ($6962), and the Toyota I bought at a Queensland Air Force auction is going on for nine years old,” he said.

Mr Chamberlain, a former Adventist minister, is now self-employed and runs a small wood-chopp-ing business which provides firewood for residents in the small town of Cooronbong, south of Newcastle, in New South Wales.