Queensland cabinet to consider public inquiry into forensic lab testing failures
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has flagged “a very big announcement” about the besieged state government-run forensic lab.
A public inquiry into Queensland’s besieged forensics laboratory will be considered by Annastacia Palaszczuk’s cabinet when it meets on Monday.
The Queensland Premier has flagged “a very big announcement” about the state government-run forensic lab after police discovered hundreds of rape cases might have gone unsolved because of testing failures.
“Those revelations, it changes everything,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Friday.
“Everything is on the table and in light of all those revelations I think you’ll see a very big announcement on Monday.”
A Queensland Health-led review of the lab was announced in March, but was criticised by victims and a top forensic expert over its narrow scope.
The internal review will not evaluate the lab’s outputs, its success rate in providing answers to police or consider individual cases.
Two interstate experts have been recruited to oversee the review, but are yet to be publicly announced.
Ms Palaszczuk conceded the investigation into the lab must be widened after The Australian last week revealed that police had launched a review of rape cases back to 2018.
Her government has been considering extending the review into a full commission of inquiry, which would have the power to compel witnesses and provide legal privilege to whistleblowers.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has also considered whether the already announced review could progress, but with greater powers to get to the bottom of the DNA lab’s problems.
“I’m looking at all options. I’m looking at whether I need to change the scope and the powers available to the reviewers,” Ms D’Ath said.
Angela Lynch, who heads the Queensland Sexual Assault Network, said the reliability of forensic evidence was obviously of high public concern.
“If it cannot be relied upon, there are major ramifications for victims who are unable to take their matter forward in the criminal justice system and perpetrators of sexual violence crimes may not be being held accountable,” she said.
“Obtaining this kind of evidence is confronting for victims, especially just after an assault, and to think that it is not being appropriately tested is very concerning.
“We would support an independent inquiry into the situation so the community and victims can have confidence that the forensic evidence being gathered in Queensland is of the highest quality and public confidence in the system can be restored.”
The Palaszczuk government has been aware of problems in the lab for years.
A Queensland Audit Office report from 2019 found police had “capped” the number of trace DNA samples being sent to the laboratory amid poor results, a shortage of scientists and a blowout in waiting times.
The audit report states that despite a 21 per cent increase in the number of DNA exhibits analysed from 2013-14 to 2017-18, the DNA team had dropped from 65 full-time equivalent staff to 61 in the same period.
The opposition has called for the lab to be investigated as part of a commission of inquiry already under way into the Queensland Police Service.
“The failings of the lab date back years,” the LNP’s sexual violence spokeswoman, Amanda Camm, said.
“Rape victims have rightly had enough, the police have had enough, Queenslanders across our great state have had enough.”
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