Trimega laboratories; Manchester U.K. Randox; Daiy Mail reports that More than 34,000 child custody cases could have been jeopardised by the forensics tampering scandal..."As the impact of the forensic data fiddling continues to grow, it can now be revealed the true number of criminal and civil cases affected may be higher than 44,000. This week the National Police Chiefs Council announced 10,000 criminal cases in England and Wales dating back to 2010, including rapes and murders, are being reviewed after two forensic scientists were arrested on suspicion of manipulation of drug and alcohol tests. But the impact on the family courts could be far wider as the laboratory was once carrying out at least 6,800 hair tests for drugs and alcohol in child welfare cases a year when it was run by Trimega. Last night there were calls for a public inquiry into the crisis, as critics questioned why it took so long for the authorities to investigate when High Court judges were warning back in 2011 of serious mistakes being made at the Manchester laboratory. One mother nearly had her children wrongly put into care before her drug sample was retested by a rival lab. The Mail has learnt one of the suspects under investigation was once a poster boy for the forensic world who boasted he had helped to shape the Government’s drug-driving laws brought in in March 2015. Considered an expert in his field, he gave expert testimony in court cases as to the reliability of his tests, and the scientist is said to have analysed over 50,000 samples for drugs during his career, many of which are now under review."..." Yesterday Norman Lamb, chairman of the science and technology select committee, called for a public inquiry into the scandal. He said: ‘The scale of the potential impact here is enormous, it beggars belief. The reality is this could impact on families across the country.’"
PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The
Mail has learnt one of the suspects under investigation was once a
poster boy for the forensic world who boasted he had helped to shape the
Government’s drug-driving laws brought in in March 2015. Considered
an expert in his field, he gave expert testimony in court cases as to
the reliability of his tests, and the scientist is said to have analysed
over 50,000 samples for drugs during his career, many of which are now
under review."
SECOND PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Yesterday Norman Lamb, chairman of the science and technology select committee, called for a public inquiry into the scandal. He
said: ‘The scale of the potential impact here is enormous, it beggars
belief. The reality is this could impact on families across the
country.’"
STORY: "More than 34,000 family court cases 'may have been hit by forensic tampering scandal,' by reporter Rebecca Camber, published by The Daily Mail on November 25, 2017.
SUB-HEADINGS: True number of criminal and civil cases affected may be higher than 44,000; 10,000 criminal cases in England and Wales dating back to 2010, including rapes and murders, are being reviewed; 2010-2014: lab run by Trimega Laboratories, Manchester, carried out about 34,000 tests for child custody cases.' Went into administration; lab taken on by Randox which carried out hundreds of tests which are now under scrutiny.
GIST: "More than 34,000 child custody cases could have been jeopardised by the forensics tampering scandal. As
the impact of the forensic data fiddling continues to grow, it can now
be revealed the true number of criminal and civil cases affected may be
higher than 44,000. This week the
National Police Chiefs Council announced 10,000 criminal cases in
England and Wales dating back to 2010, including rapes and murders, are
being reviewed after two forensic scientists were arrested on suspicion
of manipulation of drug and alcohol tests. But
the impact on the family courts could be far wider as the laboratory
was once carrying out at least 6,800 hair tests for drugs and alcohol in
child welfare cases a year when it was run by Trimega. Last
night there were calls for a public inquiry into the crisis, as critics
questioned why it took so long for the authorities to investigate when
High Court judges were warning back in 2011 of serious mistakes being
made at the Manchester laboratory.
One mother nearly had her children wrongly put into care before her drug sample was retested by a rival lab. The
Mail has learnt one of the suspects under investigation was once a
poster boy for the forensic world who boasted he had helped to shape the
Government’s drug-driving laws brought in in March 2015. Considered
an expert in his field, he gave expert testimony in court cases as to
the reliability of his tests, and the scientist is said to have analysed
over 50,000 samples for drugs during his career, many of which are now
under review. As the impact of the forensic
data fiddling continues to grow, it can now be revealed the true number
of criminal and civil cases affected may be higher than 44,000. (File
photo) Between
2010 and 2014, when the lab was run by Trimega Laboratories, it is
estimated to have carried out 34,000 tests for child custody cases. After
it went into administration, the lab was taken on by Randox which also
carried out hundreds of tests which are now under scrutiny. Randox
took on the premises, some of the equipment and some of the staff
including the two main suspects alleged to have fiddled the tests. The
same lab, when it was run by Trimega, also churned out drug tests for
inquests, nurses and employment checks for pilot and nurses, which could
have put the public at risk if the results were wrong. Yesterday Norman Lamb, chairman of the science and technology select committee, called for a public inquiry into the scandal. He
said: ‘The scale of the potential impact here is enormous, it beggars
belief. The reality is this could impact on families across the
country.’"
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the
Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my
previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put
considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith
and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic
pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses
on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please
send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest
to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy;
Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
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Two Blogs Now: The Charles Smith Blog; The Selfless Warriors Blog: I created the Charles Smith Blog in 2007 after I retired from The Toronto Star to permit me to keep digging into the story of the flawed pathologist and the harm he had done to so many innocent parents and caregivers, and to Ontario’s criminal justice system. Since then it has taken new directions, including examinations of other flawed pathologists, flawed pathology, and flawed science and technology which has marred the quality of justice in courtrooms around the world. The heart of the Blog is my approach to following cases which raise issues in all of these areas - especially those involving the death penalty. I have dedicated 'The Selfless Warrior Blog’ (soon to appear) to those exceptional individuals who have been ripped out of their ordinary lives by their inability to stand by in the face of a glaring miscarriage of justice. They are my ’Selfless Warriors.’ Enjoy!
