A man who was acquitted for rape is facing another trial as prosecutors seek leave to invoke Queensland’s new double jeopardy laws, in a huge development arising from The Australian’s podcast Shandee’s Story. This is “the tip of the iceberg”, says our national chief correspondent Hedley Thomas, who’s here today. 

Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

Shandee’s Story: Double jeopardy test of rape acquittal after forensic DNA do-over

Shandee Blackburn murder: DNA retesting on hold in Mackay cold case

Queensland DNA lab accused of hiding evidence flaws from courts

DNA test delays push Qld crime victims to breaking point

This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. 

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It's been four years since Hedley, Dr Kirsty Wright and Vicki and Shannah Blackburn first Zoomed in late 2021 about the forensic testing anomalies in Shandee's case. 

In the final episode of Shandee's Legacy for now, the podcast’s focus turns to the future and a bid to solve Shandee's case.

Hedley and Karina look into the status of Shandee's crime scene samples and those from other historical cases as Queensland’s Attorney-General Deb Frecklington pledges they will be re-tested.

The senior lawyer in a defamation case brought by Shandee's former boyfriend over an episode of the podcast unpacks the high-stakes legal contest so far - and the potential for a full-blown trial.

To read more about this story, plus see images, videos, timelines, and more, visit shandee.com.au.

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The new director of the lab, former NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller, is tasked with leading the lab out of ruin and transforming it into a world-class facility. 

He shares his plans for salvaging the lab with Hedley and explains why he is the right person for the top job, even though he's not a scientist.

A confidential briefing note from the lab to Queensland Health in March 2023 warned of critical risks and a lack of confidence in the lab's scientists and science. Two years later, Dr Kirsty Wright says the issues demanded a temporary shut down of the lab. Instead, the lab persisted with testing and providing potentially unreliable results to the police and courts.    

To read more about this story, plus see images, videos, timelines, and more, visit shandee.com.au.

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The terrible toll for victims affected by the DNA lab’s ongoing failure is laid bare by Magda.

Eighteen months after her alleged rape, the mining site worker is still waiting for the lab to tell her what, if anything, is happening with the forensic testing of samples from her ordeal.

Magda shares her searing story with Hedley as Dr Kirsty Wright discloses major problems with the lab's testing of rape kits.

New managers of the lab in Brisbane put their faith in a United States lab to help with the backlog and bring down the long delays in giving results to victims.
And confidential documents which are being revealed publicly for the first time show bad things got with the lab's former management again taking short-cuts with testing even though it resulted in criminals' DNA going undetected, and crimes remaining unsolved.

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A blockbuster new podcast from The Australian and our investigative star reporter Hedley Thomas: Sick To Death is the horrifying true story of a surgeon who made catastrophic mistakes - and went unchallenged by a broken system. Hedley Thomas is here for a special episode to mark the launch of Sick To Death, available now in Apple Podcasts and at sicktodeathpodcast.com

This is an episode of our daily news podcast The Front,  presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Joshua Burton with Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Kristen Amiet, Lia Tsamoglou, Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton, Stephanie Coombes and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. 

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After a break of two years, the podcast returns with the first of several new bombshell episodes of Shandee’s Legacy.

The DNA lab in Queensland is again under close scrutiny for gross scientific failure despite the findings of two public inquiries, major reforms and a huge injection of public funds.

Dr Kirsty Wright answers another SOS to lift the lid on what’s going wrong in the lab - and she’s asked to help fix it once and for all. Kirsty reveals her disgust and shock at what’s happened.

As serious contamination problems and huge backlogs came to light, Dr Linzi Wilson-Wilde, the lab’s leader since early 2023, was dramatically forced out and then quit. 

Vicki and Shannah Blackburn share news about Shandee’s case.

 

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In this episode of our daily news podcast, a QLD Supreme Court judge dismisses the defamation action brought against The Australian by the man acquitted of killing Shandee Blackburn.

Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. The multimedia editor is Lia Tsamoglou and original music is composed by Jasper Leak.

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A defamation case sparked by the Shandee’s Story podcast poses the question: can journalists publish evidence that calls a court finding into doubt? 

Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Stephanie Coombes and edited by Joshua Burton. Our team also includes Lia Tsamoglou, Jasper Leak, Kristen Amiet and Tiffany Dimmack. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From our daily news podcast The Front, John Peros' defamation action against Hedley Thomas, Shannah Blackburn and the publishers of The Australian. 

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This episode is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Stephanie Coombes and edited by Jasper Leak. 

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There was no fanfare when Commissioner Annabelle Bennett SC handed down her findings from the Project 13 inquiry.

Only disappointment that the inquiry failed to hold anyone responsible for the biggest disaster in the lab’s history. 

In this episode of Shandee’s Legacy, Dr Kirsty Wright joins Hedley Thomas, Claire Harvey, and David Murray to dissect and comment on the findings from this rare second inquiry, the future of a lab at the heart of the criminal justice system, and the case which started all of this: the slaying of Shandee Blackburn in 2013.

To read The Australian's reporting and analysis of the inquiry, search Shandee's Story or visit shandee.com.au.

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