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."

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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.’"

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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.’"

The entire story can be found at:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5115725/Forensic-tampering-scandal-hits-34-000-family-court-cases.html

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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AfrikaansAlbanianArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEnglishEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKoreanLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSerbianSesothoSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTeluguThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduUzbekVietnameseWelshYiddishYorubaZulu

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