Editorial: Families must not be forgotten in cold cases reviews
For many of these cold cases, there are families who have waited in some cases for decades to attain closure following the murder of a loved one, yet face further heartbreak.
Opinion
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EVERY year, forensic science advances in ways that make it ever more possible to solve crimes where no perpetrator has previously been identified or charged. The use of DNA evidence is one obvious example of crime lab advancement. Yet there have been many other breakthroughs, too, from the enhanced ability to retrieve fingerprints to more sophisticated means of analysing handwriting and other potential evidence.
Initially, about 500 cold cases will be reviewed before detectives identify their “priority” cases — those crimes deemed to be the most imminently solvable.
Deciding on the solvability of those cases will be largely technology-dependent, but other factors will also be involved. A witness stepping forward after decades of silence, for example, can instantly move a case from the cold to the active file.
Another key element in examining these unsolved cases will be the introduction of new investigators.
By looking at cases for the first time, these investigators may see aspects of various crimes that were earlier missed.
“We want to make sure we are looking at the right cases — the solvable cases now, so they are not languishing there for years whilst we work slowly through the list from oldest to newest,” NSW Police Homicide commander Detective Superintendent Scott Cook said.
“The review process will look at the best opportunities to solve the matter and cases that could be solved now given the right resources, will be prioritised to be reinvestigated,” he said.
Importantly, Det Supt Cook is alert to the emotions of families who have waited in some cases for decades to attain closure following the murder of a loved one, yet face further heartbreak.
“Every case is going to get reviewed and I’m sorry to the families if their case is less solvable than others. It’s not forgotten and it will be looked at again and again,” he said.
“I think most families will understand that we have to work on evidence and if the evidence isn’t there we could spend a lifetime searching.”
Lame joke that is Eurovision
Australia definitely dodged a bullet on the weekend. If things had gone the wrong way, our proud nation could have worn the shame of being this year’s Eurovision Song Contest winner. As it turned out, however, Australia — which is not in Europe, by the way — scored the contest’s lowest public vote and ended in 20th place.
This is no reflection on the abundant talents of Australian singer Jessica Mauboy. In fact, she should be delighted by finishing so poorly in a competition for bad taste.
Eurovision, like most things with the prefix “Euro”, is a lame joke that stopped delivering genuine laughs years ago.
The only outcome better than losing it would be not attending it at all.
Push to enter space race
Space. It’s the final frontier — for NSW.
Australia is presently a lowly ranked participant in the global space industry, accounting for less than 1 per cent of the international market.
Given that the market is growing at nearly 10 per cent every year, and considering Australia’s significant involvement during the early days of space exploration, it makes sense to expand our interests in this field.
That is why Innovation Minister Michaelia Cash will today announce an immediate $15 million fund to encourage local businesses to engage with major space players, including NASA and Japan’s Aerospace Exploration Agency. As well, our own new space agency will require a terrestrial base. Obviously, this should be in NSW.
The Berejiklian government is already exploring options, mostly around the future Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, where a hi-tech defence and aerospace precinct is taking shape.
“Australia’s space agency should be hosted by Australia’s technology capital,” declares premier Gladys Berejiklian. She is absolutely correct. To infinity and beyond!