Inquiry needed to restore public faith
STATE Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman will soon meet with justice advocates after explosive revelations that criminals may have escaped conviction after botched DNA testing at Queensland’s forensic science centre over the past decade.
The bombshell claims – made by one of the country’s top forensic scientists – mean hundreds of prosecutions, especially on sexual assaults, may have been tainted.
The Crime and Corruption Commission is investigating the claims, and justice advocates have asked Ms Fentiman to call an inquiry to uncover the truth.
Ms Fentiman has agreed to talk with the Griffith University Innocence Project, which is spearheading the probe.
The Innocence Project says testing methods were improperly introduced at the former John Tonge science laboratory – now known as the Queensland Health and Forensic and Scientific Service centre’s DNA unit – in 2012.
The improper testing methods had led to “other systemic errors leading to flawed results, which in turn, have been concealed from the police, leading to courts being misled and ultimately resulting in substantial breaches of public trust dating back over a decade’’.
Equally worrying, they say, is “that these systemic issues are affecting the reliability of DNA evidence – with undoubtedly dire consequences for the administration of justice in this state’’.
The Innocence Project wants a public inquiry that “will either reveal serious issues which need urgent correction or will allay any disquiet about the laboratory’s competency and conduct’’.
“We are hard-pressed to think of a matter that could have any greater significance in this state at the present time – and given what is happening in the world at this time, we don’t say this lightly,’’ the Innocence Project’s executive leadership says.
It says if urgent correction is required, “it will be inevitable that a considerable number of cases will be enlivened and, to that end, a second appeal option would be desirable of legislative reform rather than the traditional pardon route, much like the reforms in Victoria following the ‘Lawyer X’ issue”.
The revelations centre on testimony provided by Kirsty Wright, one of Australia’s leading forensic scientists and a member of the Innocence Project’s Advisory Board.
Dr Wright has vast experience as a major crimes scientist and expert witness for criminal prosecutions and has led DNA teams in a number of successful local and international forensic operations. Since November last year, Dr Wright has publicly raised fears about the functioning of the Queensland Health and Forensic Science Service’s DNA unit.
It came after her review of the Shandee Blackburn case.
As part of this review, Dr Wright had access to all the documents from the 2019 coronial inquest, including official documents from QHFSS.
Her findings led her to subsequently make a complaint to the CCC alleging serious misconduct by employees of QHFSS.
Dr Wright met with the CCC on March 25 and has since met with members of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce, led by former Supreme Court judge
THE BOMBSHELL CLAIMS – MADE BY ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S TOP FORENSIC SCIENTISTS – MEAN HUNDREDS OF PROSECUTIONS, ESPECIALLY ON SEXUAL ASSAULTS, MAY HAVE BEEN TAINTED.
Margaret McMurdo, to discuss the laboratory’s systemic failings and conduct.
The Griffith University Innocence Project has written to Ms Fentiman alerting her to the possibility of miscarriages of justice.
The real issue for Ms Fentiman is the possibility of a miscarriage of justice for scores or hundreds of sexual assault victims.
These claims have the potential to shake the foundation of Queensland’s judicial system.
They must be investigated as a matter of urgency.