Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

New inquest into Azaria Chamberlain's death

Updated at 1:55 pm on 11 October 2010

Australian authorities are set to re-examine the long-running case of Azaria Chamberlain, the baby who disappeared at Uluru (Ayers Rock) 30 years ago.

Officials in Australia's Northern Territory are preparing a new inquest - the fourth since the nine-week-old Azaria disappeared on 17 August 1980.

Australian media report the inquest is likely to be established early next year and will examine whether the baby was taken by a dingo.

Azaria's father, Michael Chamberlain, said his lawyers are preparing a case that will lead to a coroner finding that a dingo took his baby, including evidence of six attacks on humans by dingoes since 1980.

Her mother, Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, called for a new inquest on the 30th anniversary of Azaria's disappearance earlier this year.

She was initially convicted of murder in 1982 and served three years in jail before a Royal Commission and a new trial exonerated her.

Dr Chamberlain has called for the inquest to investigate Northern Territory's handling of the case, including Lindy Chamberlain's murder conviction.

Dr Chamberlain said he wants the findings of a 1995 coronial inquest quashed. It returned an open verdict on Azaria's death.

Official Northern Territory sources told Fairfax newspapers the moves are underway to prepare for a fourth inquest in Darwin early in the new year.

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