Linzi Wilson-Wilde: Clock ticking on state-run lab boss over DNA debacle

An embattled state-run forensic testing lab boss will have just days to save her job following a DNA sampling scandal.

Forensic Science Queensland director Linzi Wilson-Wilde was suspended on Friday, pending a show cause notice for her removal.

Attorney-General Deb Frecklington made the call after learning the lab had paused routine DNA testing for seven days following the discovery of “contamination issues”.

Urgent testing is continuing with controls.

Premier David Crisafulli confirmed Ms Wilson-Wilde would have less than a week to respond to the show cause notice.

“Unless we’ve got a proper functioning lab in Queensland we don’t have a proper functioning justice system,” he told reporters on Saturday.

“What’s happening at the moment is completely broken and the long-term culture of cover-up had to be called out, and it should have been called out many years ago which is why we’re taking the action we’re taking.”

Ms Wilson-Wilde was appointed director in September after serving as interim chief executive.

The former Queensland Labor government appointed her to the role the day before it entered caretaker mode ahead of the October state election.

Mr Crisafulli did not shed any light on the nature of the contamination issues despite repeated questions but said the attorney-general acted swiftly after receiving information on Friday morning.

“She acted and as she found out, Queensland has found out,” he said.

Forensic Science Queensland was established in 2023 following multiple inquiries, one of which revealed a “fundamentally flawed” automated DNA extraction method might have led to offenders potentially escaping conviction for nine years from 2007.

Many samples went untested while others were incorrectly ruled insufficient, an earlier inquiry found.

The inquiries also elicited characterisations of a “toxic” culture at the state-run forensic lab.

More than 40,000 samples fell within the scope of a historical review process, of which close to 10,000 had been reviewed as of May.

The premier described the situation as a mess and indicated the attorney-general was still considering “clean up” options for when the testing pause ends.

“I’ll be getting a further briefing about where to from here,” Mr Crisafulli said

“Right now there are rapists and murderers walking the streets of Queensland who should have been held accountable and that means victims haven’t got justice.”