STORY: "Second report into troubled DNA lab to be handed down," by Australian Press Reporter Laine Clark, published by Yahoo News, on November 19, 2023.
GIST: "The findings of another inquiry into DNA testing at Queensland's troubled forensic lab are set to be released by the state government.
A six-week review conducted by retired Federal Court judge Annabelle Bennett started last month looking at claims about the lab's automated DNA extraction method, known as Project 13.
An initial inquiry examining the failings of DNA testing at the state-run lab last year produced damning results.
The 2022 inquiry headed by Walter Sofronoff KC found many DNA samples went untested and the lab incorrectly ruled others "insufficient".
After a police review, it was revealed that 37,000 cases dating back to 2007 were impacted by the DNA testing bungle.
Whistleblower Dr Kirsty Wright - an independent forensic scientist - feared there could be thousands more cases affected by Project 13's testing method.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman called for the second inquiry last month after meeting with Dr Wright, who was a key witness at the initial 2022 probe.
Ms Fentiman was convinced another inquiry should be held after Dr Wright produced documents outlining concerns about Project 13 that she believed had not been addressed.
Ms Fentiman said Dr Bennett's report for the second inquiry would go to cabinet and be released on Monday.
She is set to address the media on Monday and hand down the report.
"If we have missed some really important facts when it came to Project 13 as part of the previous inquiry then we are going to leave no stone unturned," Ms Fentiman said when she announced the second inquiry."
The entire story can be read at:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/second-report-troubled-dna-lab-163000358.html
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. 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;
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/47049136857587929
FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices.
Lawyer Radha Natarajan;
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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YET ANOTHER FINAL WORD:
David Hammond, one of Broadwater’s attorneys who sought his exoneration, told the Syracuse Post-Standard, “Sprinkle some junk science onto a faulty identification, and it’s the perfect recipe for a wrongful conviction.
