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Media Release - 24 October 2007 - Carol Louise Matthey

The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions for the State of Victoria, Jeremy Rapke QC, today announced that the Crown would not proceed further in the prosecution of Carol Louise Matthey for the alleged murder of four of her children.

In announcing that the part-heard trial before Justice Coldrey of the Victorian Supreme Court would be discontinued, Mr Rapke said, “The prosecution case against Mrs Matthey was largely based on medical evidence from interstate and international experts relating to the cause of the deaths in question. Justice Coldrey recently ruled that much of that evidence was inadmissible and invited the Crown to re-assess the viability of the prosecution.”

“I have now determined that the remaining Crown case is such that there is no reasonable prospect of any conviction being recorded. The Acting Chief Crown Prosecutor and the Senior Crown Prosecutor with the conduct of this trial are also of the same view. Accordingly I have decided that this trial should be discontinued. That decision has been formally announced in the Supreme Court today,” Mr. Rapke said.

Any queries should be directed to the Office of Public Prosecutions Media Liaison Unit.