NCJ Number
248144
Journal
Forensic Science International Genetics Volume: 12 Dated: September 2014 Pages: 72-85
Date Published
September 2014
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This report provides definitions and observed frequencies for various types of errors at the Human Biological Traces Department of the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) for the years 2008-2012, and it assesses the actual and potential impact of such errors, as well as how the NFI has communicated these errors to the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The study concludes that the observed frequency of errors was comparable to studies from clinical laboratories and genetic testing centers. The frequency of errors was stable over the 5-year study period. The most common causes of quality failure connected to laboratory processes were contamination and human error. Most human errors can be corrected; whereas contamination in crime samples often resulted in irreversible consequences. This type of contamination is the most significant source of error. Of the known contamination incidents, most were detected by the NFI quality control system before the report was issued to criminal justice authorities. As a result, the errors did not adversely influence case outcomes, such as wrongful convictions. In a limited number of cases, however, critical errors were detected after the report was issued, sometimes with severe consequences for justice outcomes. The identified error rates by the NFI are useful for quality improvement and benchmarking while contributing to the public trust that errors are being identified and corrected to improve the accuracy of scientific evidence presented in criminal cases. In order to inform the judgments of decisionmakers in criminal cases, case-specific probabilities of undetected errors are needed. These should be reported separately from the match probability when requested by the court or when there are internal or external indicators of error. 11 tables and 36 references