DNA lab’s flaws ignored 17 years ago

Problems at Queensland’s DNA laboratory were raised as early as 2005, a full seven years before it failed to detect ­evidence from Shandee Blackburn’s brutal murder.

Problems with forensic services at Queensland’s DNA laboratory were raised as early as 2005, a full seven years before it failed to detect ­evidence from Shandee Blackburn’s brutal murder.

Problems with forensic services at Queensland’s DNA laboratory were raised as early as 2005, a full seven years before it failed to detect ­evidence from Shandee Blackburn’s brutal murder, but calls for an ­investigation appear to have been ignored by the state government.

Retired Court of Appeal president Margaret McMurdo discovered the significant government oversight in a major women’s ­safety report that was handed to government on Friday, which also delivered a scathing assessment of the way rape victims access forensic services.

The report detailed how in 2005, Peter Beattie’s government was warned about problems with Queensland’s forensic services in a ministerial review and appears to have failed to implement 65 ­recommendations, including an independent review into the laboratory system AusLab.

Annastacia Palaszczuk was forced to order a royal commission-style inquiry into the same lab last month, after The Australian’s investigative podcast series Shandee’s Story uncovered evidence of disturbing practices at the state-run DNA lab.

Ms McMurdo’s taskforce, which ran a 16-month review into the criminal justice system, was unable to find a government response to the 2005 report, and “its recommendations do not appear to have been delivered”.

She said the ministerial review “called for a further independent review due to serious concerns over the quality of forensic ­services”.

“This included questions regarding the suitability of AusLab – now Queensland Health Forensic and Science Services – to undertake forensic and public health ­science,” Ms McMurdo wrote.

“It concluded that there was a need for substantially enhanced governance arrangements for research and innovation, and a competency-based professional devel­opment program.”

Disgraced Labor politician Gordon Nuttall – who was found guilty of corruption in 2009 – was the Beattie government‘s health minister in March 2005, when the review was commissioned. However, by the time it ­reported in October, Stephen Robertson had replaced Mr Nuttall as minister.

Less than eight years after the Beattie government was ­advised to review forensic services, Shandee was savagely stabbed to death as she walked home from work in Mackay.

Shandee’s mother Vicki Blackburn said it was “extremely upsetting” to hear the findings from the 2005 review appear to have been ignored.

“I am absolutely shocked. They didn’t do anything, and no government since then has done anything about it,” she told The Weekend Australian on Friday.

“I think it is appalling they have put people through so much trauma and been so callous with how they run that laboratory with no regard for victims at all it seems.

“Everybody knows how vital DNA is in investigations. They have undermined the public’s faith in the justice system.”

Renowned forensic scientist Kirsty Wright discovered the lab failed to generate DNA profiles in Shandee’s case from crime-scene evidence where it would normally be expected, such as from blood and skin samples.

Other problems in the lab, including its unusually high testing thresholds, were also uncovered by Dr Wright in Shandee’s Story.

Rather than Shandee’s being an isolated case, Dr Wright has for months believed the lab concealed systemic issues with its testing methods and procedures, putting the public at risk from ­serious and violent offenders who were not being identified and brought to justice.

Dr Wright has made a complaint to Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission and gave evidence to Ms McMurdo’s review.

Queensland police began to audit results from the lab in late 2021, after problems were exposed by national correspondent Hedley Thomas in Shandee’s Story.

The police audit found DNA profiles could be generated in up to 66 per cent of samples the lab initially claimed had “insufficient DNA for further processing”.

Last month, Queensland police told The Australian it has reopened hundreds of rape cases dating back to 2018 as a result.

Days later, Ms Palaszczuk ­ordered a commission of inquiry into the lab.

Mr Beattie and Queensland Health did not respond to request for comment by deadline.