POLICE forensic practices are so poor no cold case sample would be safe from contamination, a serving officer says.

The officer, who worked at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre, said swabs were routinely left to dry on desks, potentially exposing them to other DNA.

He said crime scene samples, including bloodied clothing, were left on sinks and open shelves in a "stink" room.

Police at the centre also refused to have their DNA put into a national database to identify whether they'd contaminated evidence, it has been claimed.

The officer was speaking after a DNA blunder led to the withdrawal of a murder charge against a Victorian prisoner, Russell Gesah, on Wednesday.

"There was no control of the clothing or where it was put," said the source, who did not want to be named.

"It was just a matter of finding an empty space. There was no control of where and when people would use that room.

"It amazed me that we would do that."

He said examination procedures in cold cases were particularly error-prone because, a decade ago, it had not been envisaged how quickly technology would advance.

He said many samples were left for weeks or months by forensic experts, who would only initial and date them.

He said the primitive system could easily lead to mix-ups.

"All cold cases could be contaminated," the source said. "We didn't wear gloves or overalls 10 years ago. We still take off gloves after several hours at crime scenes.

"It's a huge minefield."

Among the evidence left in the "stink" room were strands of hair left on trays above other samples or merely separated on butcher's paper with a marking pen.

"The Forensic Services Centre makes mistakes," the source said.

"There is the chance of contamination at every scene I have been to, and the ones I haven't.

"People's lives (may) be affected -- innocent people," he said.

A police spokesman said samples were held in large cabinets in a locked room and stringent cleaning was adhered to.

DNA has been used to convict offenders including serial killer Peter Dupas, Ascot Vale rapist Christopher Clarence Hall, and decapitation killer Keith Lees.

The police forensic staff union has questioned how a sweeping review of DNA evidence can be carried out.

On Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Simon Overland said 7000 DNA matches would be checked again.

The review will be of paperwork rather than re-testing of samples.

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Karen Batt said officials wanted to meet Victoria Police to discuss a time frame and to see what extra resources would be made available.

"It's a quadrupling of the work program," Ms Batt said.

"Demand is already pretty high, and the delays are significant in most of the material being processed there."

A police spokeswoman said extra resources had been allocated to complete the review.

She said the 600 DNA matches already reviewed were for serious crimes involving murder, rape and armed robbery, and no errors had been found.

The backlog in cases would be reduced with six new staff this year and nine next year, she said.

Source: Herald Sun  08.08.2008

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Murder Charges Withdrawn

POLICE have withdrawn murder charges against a man over the killing of a mother and her young daughter in their Melbourne home more than 20 years ago.

Police say they have dropped charges against 43-year-old Russell Gesah over the deaths of Margaret Tapp, 35, and her nine-year-old daughter Seana whose bodies were discovered in their Ferntree Gully home on August 8, 1984.

Gesah was arrested in the Victorian town of Sale last month.

Seana had been sexually assaulted before both she and her mother were strangled to death in their beds.

Police said last month that a breakthrough in the case using DNA technology had prompted Gesah's arrest. Investigators had compared DNA evidence found on an item of Seana's clothing with tens of thousands of profiles on the national DNA computer database before coming up with an alleged match.

Victoria Police say they have apologised to the Tapp family over the bungled arrest.

They say the withdrawal of charges against Gesah came after doubts were cast about the validity of the DNA evidence in the case.

"We have notified the family of Margaret and Seana Tapp and a senior member from Victoria Police has explained the problems with the process that took place," police said.

"We deeply regret the development in this case and would like to apologise to all concerned."

Source:  Herald Sun  06.08.2008