DNA Testing

Thursday, August 6, 2026, 2:05 pm

Thursday, August 6, 2026, 3:56 pm

Queensland's DNA lab had problems. Two investigations found many DNA samples needed to be tested again.

In short:

Queensland's lab is checking hundreds of reports given to police because of typing mistakes.

Over 900 reports are being checked. About 10 to 15% of them have mistakes like wrong dates.

What's next?

The lab's director, Mick Fuller, said it's impossible to know if the remaining reports have mistakes that affected cases.

Some court cases, like murder and rape, might have been affected by simple typing mistakes.

A scientist found the mistake while giving evidence in court in June.

Queensland's DNA lab had problems. Two investigations found many DNA samples needed to be tested again, which could lead to wrong judgments.

The latest mistake was in reports given to police. These reports had typing errors like wrong dates or case numbers.

Over 900 reports from 2023 are being checked. About a third have been checked, and 10 to 15% have mistakes.

The government said that none of the reports with mistakes affected court cases.

But the lab's director, Mick Fuller, said it's impossible to know if the remaining reports have mistakes that affected cases.

All we can do is check the reports carefully and be honest about what we find.

If we find any problems, we will report them.

Mick Fuller, the former police chief of New South Wales, was appointed to fix the lab's problems a year ago.

Mick Fuller is now the director of Queensland's DNA lab.

He said that the lab has new rules to prevent typing mistakes and that the science is correct.

It's not ideal, but it shows the lab is getting better.

We don't want mistakes, but if we make them, we need to fix them quickly.

Top scientist leaves quietly

A scientist named Dr. Kirsty Wright checked the lab and found many problems.

She was supposed to help fix the lab, but she left after six months.

Dr. Wright said she still wants to help fix the lab.

The Attorney-General, Deb Frecklington, didn't say why Dr. Wright left.

Dr. Wright has been replaced, but it's not clear if the changes she suggested are being made.

The Attorney-General said she is being transparent.

Today is a good day to see how far we've come.

The opposition party's lawyer, Meaghan Scanlon, said the government has questions to answer.

The government promised to fix the lab, but Dr. Wright left her job.

We only found out about the problem from the news.

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