Qld DNA lab: Dr Kirsty Wright calls for controversial lab to be temporarily closed after shock findings

The state government has defended its controversial, scandal-ridden DNA lab and shot down suggestions from a leading scientist and whistleblower to close it down.

Senior Labor minister Mick de Brenni has shot down a prominent whistleblower and leading scientist’s calls to temporarily close the scandalous DNA lab saying it “makes no sense whatsoever”.

Dr Kirsty Wright, the whistleblower whose revelations about the lab’s testing methods prised open two powerful inquiries, feared the review will run for at least a decade — robbing victims and families of justice for horrific crimes.

Forensic Science Queensland was ordered to re-test samples from more than 41,000 rape and murder cases following catastrophic failings at the lab.

Dr Wright called for the closure after it was revealed the state-run facility has reviewed just 1 per cent of tens of thousands of compromised major criminal cases.

She also warned the scandal-plagued lab risked being overwhelmed by the enormity of the backlog and constant flow of samples from new cases while also working to change testing procedures and repair faith in its operations.

Forensic biologist Kirsty Wright said families were being denied closure. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

But in stark contrast to the top scientist’s advise, Mr de Brenni argued that shutting the state-run facility was not the right move.

“Shutting it down would make no sense whatsoever,” he said.

“I don’t think any Queenslander would agree that closing down a laboratory is a good way to increase the pace of retesting.”

However, Mr de Brenni admitted that “no Queenslander is happy about the scenario” and the government had apologised to those who had been “let down”.

“That is why we are working day and night to resolve it,” he said.

Dr Wright cited two examples from the United States, Texas and Washington, where labs with issues were ordered by the government to be closed until confidence was restored in its functions and outsource testing.

“It doesn’t surprise me the progress is slow because it’s a flawed strategy,” she told The Courier-Mail.

“So a broken lab is being asked to just keep up with normal cases … and participate in this historical review of 41,000 cases — that’s extreme.”

The respected forensic biologist also said she was staggered that 193 cases reviewed had returned a DNA profile after originally not obtaining a profile — more than 40 per cent of cases.

Dr Wright said it was reasonable to estimate nearly 18,000 of the 41,077 cases are compromised with incorrect DNA results when extrapolating the current trend.

“We kind of expected that but to see it in black and white is just so confronting,” she said.

“These aren’t just numbers — these are people. These are victims. These are victims of rape. These are victims of homicide.

“And these are samples that have gone through the legal review and the police review — these are the most important samples.

“It’s just staggering. It really is staggering just to see the destructive impact that this lab has had for so many years.”

DNA Lab whistleblower Dr Kirsty Wright and Vicki Blackburn mother of Shandee Blackburn. Picture: David Clark

Mr Crisafulli said the government had been forced to disclose the abysmal progress through a Question on Notice and demanded Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath and Health Minister Shannon Fentiman release all data relating to the backlog.

“They have to release a strategy as to how they’re going to deal with this backlog,” he said.

“We want to know how bad the problem is, what resources have been put there.

“It could mean that innocent people are in jail, murderers and rapists could be walking the streets.”

Asked what strategy the LNP would implement and if it supported the closure of the lab, he said the government first needed to come clean on how deep the problem was, but that Dr Wright’s concerns deserved to be heard.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen / Courier Mail

“Because she’s been right before,” he said.

Identified botched samples have now soared to 41,000 cases, with Mr Crisafulli calling the bungle “one of the greatest failings in modern judiciary history in the world”.

“I can’t recall a failure of this magnitude in ensuring justice anywhere in this nation.”

Mr de Brenni defended the testing delay but refused to say how long it might take to clear the massive backlog, saying he was “not getting into the hypothetical mathematical equations”.

“What we have been advised is that everything is being done, the tests are happening as quickly as possible,” he said.

“They’re prioritising the tests that are before the courts at the moment as is appropriate, and all of the resources that can be made available are being made available.”

Mr de Brenni said the government had committed $200m in extra resources for the forensics lab and the retesting was happening “as quickly as possible”.

Mick de Brenni said shutting down the DNA lab would ‘make no sense whatsoever’, shutting down a leading scientist’s comments. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Asked about Opposition claims that the slow pace of retesting meant rapists and murderers “could be walking the streets”, Mr de Brenni said: “Every sample that needs to be retested will be retested. Justice will be served.”

“I’m not going to direct clinical experts in how to do their job but if they come to the government and say they need more resources, then we have listened and we have delivered those additional resources,” he said.

An FSQ spokesperson said the backlog was “stabilising” and signalled an improvement in the review following a recruitment drive.

“It is difficult to predict an exact time frame for clearing the entire backlog because this review is a collaborative effort between multiple government agencies dependent upon the category of the review,” they said.

“We anticipate a significant reduction in active cases throughout 2024.”

Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls said the failings at the lab had left “cases of thousands of victims hanging in the balance”.

“Shockingly, after 12 months Labor hasn’t even completed 1 per cent of the work required and at this rate it could take 91 years to clear the backlog, impacting tens of thousands of additional criminal cases,” he said.

Originally published as Qld DNA lab: Dr Kirsty Wright calls for controversial lab to be temporarily closed after shock findings