Queensland DNA lab victims ‘desperate’ for help as hotline disconnected

A government hotline set up for victims of Queensland’s DNA disaster has been disconnected as advocates warn those affected by botched forensic testing are not receiving the support they need and are being ignored when they ask for help.

Vicki Blackburn, mother of murder victim Shandee Blackburn.

A government hotline set up for victims of Queensland’s DNA disaster has been disconnected as ­advocates warn those affected by botched forensic testing are not receiving the support they need and are being ignored when they ask for help.

Murder victim Shandee Blackburn’s mother, Vicki, said victims had borne the brunt of negligence at the state-run laboratory and were now left to find and fund their own professional trauma support outside basic counselling.

It comes as the Forensic Support Service helpline, spruiked by the government in its September DNA inquiry progress report for victims to access “confidential counselling and support” and on the Queensland Police Service website, has been disconnected.

Ms Blackburn, whose 23-year-old daughter was stabbed to death while walking home from work in Mackay in 2013, said victims needed greater guidance on where to go for help as well as ­financial assistance for specialist therapy.

“There is no targeted support for the DNA victims, certainly no trauma-informed therapy,” she told The Australian.

“These are open wounds and with the rates that they are going through the retesting, it is going to be a long time and these people are on edge, anxious and need more help.

“The anger, the hopelessness, that is a lot to deal with and I don’t think most of us can do it on our own. We can do our breathing exercises and put things in place but what we are going through, it can be quite overwhelming.”

An alleged Queensland rape victim who had DNA evidence impacted by testing failures at the lab – and who did not wished to be named – said she had been struggling to find and pay for support. “I am very disgusted with the Queensland government’s lack of empathy and support when we were all not only robbed of our justice, but we also lost time that we will never get back waiting for DNA results, the retesting, the inconsistency in the results and the amount of times we were told ‘no’,” she said.

“It literally took a huge toll on my mental health and my wellbeing. I thought so many times that I was going to die, the pain and suffering it brought me just to be ignored or told to wait.”

Artwork for podcast by Hedley Thomas called 'Shandee's Story'.

A fortnight ago, Ms Blackburn wrote to the representative of victim support organisations on the DNA advisory board, Cathy Crawford, seeking “information to allay the genuine concerns of myself and other victims”.

Her questions included how victims could access information on procedures being implemented at the lab, what they could expect to happen in coming months, how they could gain information about how their cases were progressing including whether samples would be retested, and whether any victims had been consulted by the advisory board.

Ms Crawford responded a week later to say she would forward Ms Blackburn’s questions to the board’s secretariat, who is still yet to contact her.

Dr Kirsty Wright, who first ­exposed catastrophic problems at the government-run DNA lab on The Australian’s Shandee’s Story podcast, said she had also tried to contact Ms Crawford to raise concerns with the DNA advisory board but had been stonewalled.

“For months I have been seeking assistance on behalf of victims affected by the DNA disaster because they have contacted me, and they are absolutely desperate for support,“ she said.

“To date I have not been able to find any support for them.

“Can you imagine being a victim desperate for help, hanging on by your fingernails, being encouraged by the government to get support, only to ring a support line and find that it has been disconnected? It’s appalling.”

The state government committed $10m over four years for victim support services to meet any increased demand for trauma counselling.

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said the $10m had been split across 23 organisations and the disconnected Forensic Support Service helpline had been taken over by DV Connect.

“The Miles government is committed to supporting victims, of crime and in the past six months has announced and delivered a range of initiatives which include increased financial support to victims of crime and establishing the Office of the Victims’ Commissioner,” she said.

Ms D’Ath confirmed Ms Crawford had received Ms Blackburn’s letter and, “as those concerns span a number of areas within government, that information is being collated to properly respond to Ms Blackburn’s questions”.

“The board has invited Interim Victims’ Commissioner Jon Rouse to attend its next meeting in early May,” she said.

Anyone who believes they were involved in a police investigation that may have been impacted by testing problems can contact the police’s dedicated DNA hotline on 1300 993 191. For counselling, referral and support contact DV Connect on 1300 264 827.