Vic: DNA technologies not fail-safe - Brumby

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2009
Vic: DNA technologies not fail-safe - Brumby

MELBOURNE, Dec 8 AAP - A DNA bungle that saw a Melbourne man wrongly convicted of rape
is inappropriate but forensic technologies are not fail-safe, Victorian Premier John Brumby
says.

Farah Jama, 22, was freed on Monday when his rape conviction was quashed after a DNA
sample was contaminated.

He had spent 15 months in jail but always professed his innocence.

Mr Brumby said he and Attorney-General Rob Hulls were seeking advice on the issue but
ruled out the need for a broader review of DNA cases.

"I wouldn't say that at this stage. I think it would be too early to jump to those
conclusions," Mr Brumby told reporters on Tuesday.

"Obviously in a case like this it's completely inappropriate that he's been wrongly
in jail and ... the state will look at appropriate options."

Mr Brumby said he had not received advice on whether Mr Jama should be compensated
and it was a complex legal matter.

He said DNA was an "outstanding" technology that enabled more people to be brought
to justice but it was a serious matter when it failed.

However, it was not dissimilar to problems historically experienced with finger printing
technology.

"You will never get 100 per cent absolute certainty with any technology that you use
but the objective has to be to get to as close as possible.

"The advice I've got is that the overall reliability of the system is good but nevertheless
it's a matter of serious concern whenever there's an error that's occurred because it
means that there's a miscarriage of justice."

AAP cmb/gfr/dep/bwl

KEYWORD: JAMA BRUMBY

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