Labor's DNA Debacle deepens with kinship and paternity errors uncovered
- Forensic Science Queensland has halted all kinship and paternity testing after uncovering issues under the former Labor Government.
- 37 cases will have recalculated results issued, though the new results will not change the paternity or kinship findings in any of the cases.
- Internal review also uncovered incorrect DNA results were uploaded to the national DNA database in 2022, relating to a child rape investigation.
Shocking new details of longstanding major paternity and kinship DNA testing and evaluation errors have been uncovered as the Crisafulli Government works to address Labor's DNA Debacle.
All kinship and paternity testing has now been halted at Forensic Science Queensland, after it was confirmed incorrect data handling procedures resulted in inaccuracies in 69 individual test results, from 37 cases.
In each of these cases, revised data will be issued to Queensland Police, though the recalculated figures will not change the findings in any of the cases.
The 37 cases date back from 1982 to 2023.
The error was caused by an incorrect formula in a spreadsheet first introduced by the Forensic and Scientific Services laboratory in 2019.
Forensic Science Queensland identified issues in April 2024 and has been conducting internal case and process reviews since that time.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington said it was another shocking reminder of how incompetently Labor managed DNA testing in the state.
"This discovery is incredibly alarming, and it is yet another example of Labor being asleep at the wheel," the Attorney-General said.
"While no paternity findings will change, it's deeply concerning that such errors could be made under the former Labor Government, in the latest in a string of failures with the DNA Lab.
"We are fully committed to repairing Labor's DNA Debacle."
Forensic Science Queensland does not conduct a large volume of paternity or kinship testing, with only 5 cases currently awaiting testing.
Current and future cases will be outsourced to an external provider while the pause in kinship and paternity testing is in-effect.
In another shocking discovery, an incorrect DNA profile was mistakenly uploaded to the national DNA database in 2022. The DNA profile related to a child rape investigation.
In 2024 Forensic Science Queensland identified the error and the correct result was uploaded, internal DNA guidelines have been revised since that time.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity Deb Frecklington said the case raised questions for the former Labor Government.
"This is not only another shocking failure of the DNA Lab on Labor's watch, but Queenslanders deserve to know why Labor failed to disclose it last year when it was first discovered," the Attorney-General said.
"It's clear fixing their DNA Debacle was not a priority for Labor and too many Queenslanders have paid a high price for this failure.
"The Crisafulli Government is putting victims first by addressing Labor's DNA Debacle and delivering faster justice."
The Crisafulli Government has commissioned an independent inquiry into Forensic Science Queensland, which is due to report in the coming months.
