PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Questions about potential problems with the lab first came to light as a result of the Australian's podcast series about the investigation into the brutal slaying of Shandee Blackburn. The 23-year-old was stabbed more than 20 times on her way home from work in Mackay in February 2013. Her mother, Vicki Blackburn, welcomed the inquiry, which she said will be a starting point to rectify past failures. A man was charged with murder but acquitted in the supreme court in 2017. The coronial inquiry was reopened in February to consider "recent issues raised regarding the forensic evidence and testing of evidence in this case".
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SUB-HEADING: "Cases where DNA evidence was initially found to be insufficient to undergo further testing at state-run lab are now being reviewed.
STORY: "Queensland police look set to reopen more than 50 sexual assault cases after an inquiry was launched into the state government's troubled forensics lab.
The premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has appointed former court of appeal president Walter Sofronoff QC to lead the inquiry into the state-run forensics laboratory amid concerns about cases where there was deemed to be "insufficient material for further processing" at the lab.
The police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, says detectives are reviewing dozens of sexual assault cases stretching to 2018.
"It's up to about 50 at this stage that have come back as insufficient DNA for further processing," she told ABC radio on Wednesday.
"So what we do is go back, but certainly I know we're still reviewing those numbers, so that wouldn't be all of them."
In submissions to the to the Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce, police said they had asked for 47 samples initially deemed to show "insufficient DNA" to be tested anyway, and 31 returned usable DNA profiles.
Carroll said detectives would be "extraordinarily thorough" in reviewing individual cases, as the public would expect.
She said it was difficult to say if perpetrators who should be behind bars were walking free because of samples which were not further tested.
"I'm hoping that's not the case," the commissioner said.
"I'm hoping that we've all been very, very thorough, but certainly it's our role, it's our responsibility to make sure that we're as thorough as we can be in terms of the testing."
Questions about potential problems with the lab first came to light as a result of the Australian's podcast series about the investigation into the brutal slaying of Shandee Blackburn.
The 23-year-old was stabbed more than 20 times on her way home from work in Mackay in February 2013.
Her mother, Vicki Blackburn, welcomed the inquiry, which she said will be a starting point to rectify past failures.
A man was charged with murder but acquitted in the supreme court in 2017.
The coronial inquiry was reopened in February to consider "recent issues raised regarding the forensic evidence and testing of evidence in this case".
Vicki Blackburn said she hadn't given up on justice for her daughter and was hopeful the case would be reopened and DNA evidence retested.
The terms of reference for the commission of inquiry will be announced this week, with the Queensland Council of Civil Liberties calling for it to hold public hearings.
"An inquiry such as this largely conducted in private would not command the same public confidence as a fully open and public inquisition into the lab's processes," the council president, Michael Cope, said in a statement."
The entire story can be read at:
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;
