Practices at Queensland’s forensics lab were “appalling and reckless”, forensic scientist Dr Kirsty Wright told a commission of inquiry Tuesday.
The inquiry is examining why seven scientists recommended using an automated DNA extraction method over a manual one, in a 2008 report titled Project 13.
This was despite the automated method yielding more than 90 per cent less DNA than the manual method.
The six-week inquiry was launched in October by Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, after lobbying from Dr Wright, the mother of murdered Mackay woman Shandee Blackburn, and the Opposition.
Around 7,000 serious crime and sexual assault cases were reviewed as a result.
Dr Wright told the commission on Tuesday the scientists at the lab lapsed in their responsibilities.
“To introduce an incomplete method, that was demonstrated to not be performing, and apply those on precious crime scene samples, they must have known that some of those samples would fail,” she said.
“As a scientist, I find that completely appalling and reckless.”
Dr Wright said data was added to the Project 13 report following the implementation of the automated method, which was “highly unusual” and “really should have raised a red flag”.
Lab scientists’ testimony criticised
Former scientist at the state-run lab, Iman Muharam,on Monday told the commission staff typically over-validated their work.
“I absolutely reject that evidence,” Dr Wright said Tuesday.
“Project 13 was not a validation, it was not a verification, it didn’t even come anywhere close.”None of the seven scientists who gave evidence on Monday could say who authored Project 13 or where the final report might be.
Expert witness Professor Bruce Budowle was highly critical of their explanation.
“No one took responsibility for this report,” he said.
“In fact, it didn’t seem like anybody wrote the report, it just sort of materialised.
“I find it hard to believe and I think this may be part of the problem.”
Dr Wright said, in her review of the Shandee Blackburn murder evidence, she hadn’t immediately thought the issues at the lab may have been so severe.
“I simply didn’t consider it a possibility that a laboratory would have implemented a method knowing that it had yield issues,” she said.
“There still seems to be no documentation, no research done to improve the method, between 2009 and 2016.”
Expert witness Johanna Veth said there were clear failings in the analysis of the Shandee Blackburn murder evidence.
