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A Queensland government-run forensic laboratory refused to test thousands of evidence samples from murder and rape crime scenes, arguing they did not meet DNA thresholds, an inquiry has heard.
Insp David Neville, manager of the Queensland police service’s (QPS) DNA unit, told the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing that more than 21,000 samples – including almost a third from murder and rape scenes – collected between 2018 and 2021 were ruled “insufficient DNA for testing” and never fully examined.
But the lab did test 1,410 of the samples from major crime scenes at the request of police, with 549 samples yielding a DNA profile, the inquiry heard.
“So, in excess of a 30% success rate [from the 1410 samples tested]. There remain some 7,000 samples from major crimes that have not been tested,” Neville told the inquiry on Tuesday.
QPS have since formally requested the remaining samples be examined for potential positive results by the Forensic and Scientific Services lab, the inquiry has been told.
Most of the outstanding samples were classified as “volume crime” and primarily collected from less serious or property crime scenes.
Neville told the inquiry that of the 21,000 untested samples, about a third – about 7500 – would have been collected from the scenes of murder, violence and sexual assault.
Samples from unsolved sexual assaults that were retested returned a “disturbingly high” 66% success rate, after being previously ruled insufficient for testing, he told the inquiry.
Neville said once he identified the discrepancy in results as a “real issue”, police were instructed to request samples from major crimes be re-tested.
“I told my staff if you get that result [for insufficient DNA for testing] for major crimes, just send it back to the lab for testing,” he told the inquiry.
In other evidence, Neville, who holds a master’s degree in forensic science, agreed a forensic laboratory paper outlining changes to DNA threshold limits was complex.
“I’ll be honest with you, and maybe this is just my intellect, but I didn’t completely understand it,” he told the inquiry.
The inquiry has heard that scientists at the lab also suggested QPS didn’t fully understand the scientific process being carried out, and the possible implications it would have on the treatment of DNA evidence.
The public hearings come after the release of an interim report identifying serious shortfalls in testing thresholds.
The inquiry has been told threshold testing changes were first proposed in 2017 as a way to increase testing speed and lower costs.
Two staff members at the forensic lab have been stood down pending the full results of the inquiry.
Neville told the inquiry that his relationship with one of those staff members deteriorated over time as he became “uncomfortable” with the tone of communications between the two departments, saying they “became quite aggressive or terse”.
He had been told by the staff member that “you can either be my friend or my foe, but once you’re my foe there is no coming back”, the inquiry heard.
Neville said it was the first time he had experienced that type of confrontation with another government department.
He told the inquiry that the pair later met to discuss their differences.
“I have a distinct memory that I was told basically not to interfere or try to influence the operations,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, laboratory staff members testified to raising serious concerns about changes to the testing regime but their feedback was ignored.
Senior scientist Kylie Rika told the commission the work culture at Forensic and Scientific Services, operating under the Health Department, was “quite toxic”.
The hearing continues in Brisbane on Wednesday.
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