Met Police under urgent review over 'forensics mishandling'

Forensic lab errors in hundreds of crime cases

22nd February 2007

Hundreds of killers and rapists may have escaped justice because of blunders by the government-owned forensic science laboratory that were uncovered by senior police officers reviewing the unsolved murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common.

Over a five-year period, the Forensic Science Service (FSS) failed to detect tiny samples of DNA in 2,500 cases involving murders, rapes and serious assaults. Senior officers believe that in many of those cases DNA samples could have been found and matched to suspects, had the FSS used different techniques that were being used by other privately run laboratories.

They are furious at the failings and have demanded an explanation from the FSS. The 2,500 cases will be resubmitted for testing, either at the FSS laboratories or at private labs. The FSS says it may find DNA in about 200 of the 2,500 cases but admits this is merely a guess. Hundreds of suspects who have escaped justice as a result of the mistakes are likely to be rearrested and charged if the new tests provide DNA results.

Tony Lake, chief constable of Lincolnshire police and the Association of Chief Police Officers' spokesman on forensic issues, said the cases in which the FSS had failed to find tiny specks of DNA involved the most serious crimes. "This is about not getting results when it might be expected that there was DNA, rather than getting a result that was wrong. This type of DNA analysis of tiny amounts of DNA is carried out normally in the most serious crimes. We were not best pleased. We were not impressed. We rely on our forensic providers to have the highest standards."

The failings were uncovered last year, during a review of the 2001 Nickell murder investigation. Ms Nickell was stabbed to death on Wimbledon Common in July 1992. Colin Stagg was acquitted of murder in 1994 after police were criticised for trapping him into a confession.

During a second inquiry into the killing in 2001 the FSS re-examined items recovered from the murder scene. But in a test known as low copy number (LCN), involving microscopic samples, they missed tiny samples of DNA that had been taken from her body. When Scotland Yard carried out its review of the inquiry last year another forensic laboratory using a different technique discovered the DNA that the FSS had missed.

Mr Lake was asked to carry out a review to establish the scale of the failings. He wrote to all chief constables yesterday asking them to examine their files for any cases between 2000 and 2005 that have not resulted in a conviction, in which small samples were sent to the FSS and returned negative, when a positive result might have been expected.

He said yesterday that after 2005 the standards at the FSS raised no concerns as different techniques were being used.

The Home Office yesterday denied accusations from David Davis, the shadow home secretary, of a cover-up. A spokeswoman said: "On operational advice from the police, the initial stage of this operation has been kept confidential. As soon as ministers became aware of this issue, they asked Acpo to undertake an operational review to secure the nature and extent of it and to take remedial action. Acpo is very close to completing that work and has found no evidence that we should be concerned about standards being used today."

Kathy Lee, a spokeswoman for the FSS, said scientists estimated that of the 2,500 cases that needed retesting, around 200 were likely to provide a positive match with a suspect. But she admitted this was just a guess. She said the errors had occurred because the rapid advances in technology meant DNA could now be found on tiny residues. "This happened when LCN was in its infancy," she said.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2007/feb/22/topstories3.ukcrime

Sir Alec Jeffreys - pioneer of DNA profiling.

Sir Alec John Jeffreys is a British geneticist, who developed techniques for genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police detective work and to resolve paternity and immigration disputes. He is a professor of genetics at the University of Leicester, and he became an honorary freeman of the City of Leicester on 26 November 1992. In 1994, he was knighted for services to genetics.

After finishing his doctorate, he moved to the University of Amsterdam, where he worked on mammalian genes as a research fellow, and then to the University of Leicester in 1977, where in 1984 he discovered a method of showing variations between individuals' DNA, inventing and developing genetic fingerprinting.

The unmasking of FSS, the same people that messed up analysis of the samples from 5A and the hire cars. As Harry Hill might say - who'd have though it?

Rogue-a-Tory wrote:The unmasking of FSS, the same people that messed up analysis of the samples from 5A and the hire cars. As Harry Hill might say - who'd have though it?

Hi Rogue-a-Tory,the review of these sample and I Note the years 2000-2005,which will discount any review of the Madeleine McCann DNA/LCI,even if they still possessed the samples they,FSS wished to destroy left over from analysis,giving Portugal PJ 21 days to respond or they would be destroyed on"Health Grounds"?
So the UK Police "Officially" destroy potential evidence from any future prosecution by destroying Evidence?

Alarm bells being set off,Metropolitan Police Service,Seven years of Operation Grange,DNA/LCI evidence review,er we had Nothing to review,we had inadvertently destroyed it Eleven years ago?

Thanks willowthewisp

I wasn’t expecting the FSS debacle to cover anywhere near the period of May to September 2007. The instruction would have been to avoid any mention of the period, both significantly before and afterwards, when its labs were involved in analysing samples relating to Madeleine McCann. Any spotlight shone on that grubby period would have indeed put several cats amongst a whole flock of pigeons, thereby risking a chain of events that would inevitably lead to peeling back several veneers of the lie.Who knows where that would have led to?

Do we have still have any honest policemen who were involved in this case?  Why aren't they speaking out if the answer is 'yes?'  The whole investigation screams 'COVER UP' with forensic evidence 'inadvertently' being destroyed.  DNA being unavailable or damaged.  Conflicting statements and revised statements.  The police being given a 'Remit' on what they 'may or may not/' investigate.  No other missing child case has attracted £12 Million pounds of public purse money.  Why has this one?  What is so special about it?   What is being kept secret?   How many people have met with an accident or died mysteriously who were involved in this case....including Mr Amaral's dog found dead, beaten around the head.

Mm why haven't Grange yielded anything meaning of grange ... archaic : granary, barn
2 : farm; especially : a farmhouse with outbuildings
3 capitalized : one of the lodges of association itself
See grange defined for kids
Really  even the police operation name having a laff  disgusting..note grange one of lodges ... erm ..


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@Cookiecat

Please understand that CMOMM is read daily by hundreds of people across the world who visit to further their knowledge of the Complete Mystery of Madeleine McCann.  This is a serious investigative/informative forum seeking justice for a voiceless child, Madeleine McCann, it is not twitter or facebook or any other social media platform that encourages nonsense.

You are most welcome here as a member but we ask that you respect the forum and it's readership by taking care about what you post.

Thank you.

Mod.

I Don't think my comment is nonsense much on the forum has refered to the political aspect of the case and if the Mccanns had free mason links .. my comment clearly points out the unsavioury meaning of the word grange .  It inferes lodge . in response to anothers question as to why so much spent on case .. but fine I respect your opinion I 'm NOT worthy of opinion and won't  post again

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[mod]
Your posts are incoherent Cookiecat. Please clean up your act or you will no longer be welcome. Thank you.[/mod]

Perfectly coherant ok grammer etc but I'll take myself out forum ... and its you that didn't grasp I was refering to the name Grange and its meaning .. barn .. lodge .. associated lodges ie Freemason. I may be disabled but not stupid my view was valid and supportive anyhow GOODBYE as Ann Robinson would have said ..bye forum for cases and support for mmc.. just if new .. make sure you don't speak in snapchat speak and have a roll of evidence or new not welcome !

Hi Cookiecat,the CMMoM group have seen very powerful people use the"Legal system" to usurp one of the group to never mention certain activity or motion towards a"thesis" of what they may have believed might have happened in the Madeleine McCann case?
Now quite whether or not the"Specific Group" you have alluded to is part of this group,it is to say uncertain at this point!

Here within the UK it has recently been uncovered that"Two Brotherhoods" were trying to firmly entrench themselves within the Political activities inside the House of Commons,so you can now ascertain just how far some of the tentacles have spread in today's society?

The CMMoM group are being protective,due to past"Legal" Person''s being in an advanced position against a now subjugated individual,they sent their message well and clear,just what they required,to Silence the person,"No Free Speech allowed in Court" it has to be paid for!

hope this conveys what has been at stake all along in Madeleine McCann's case,which is to silence the non believers as to what may have happened.