False Forensic Evidence
Forensic evidence is not a new thing in courtrooms. Forensic evidence has been around for decades just not as reliable as today. There have been many advancements to forensics, the techniques used and the technology involved. Forensics is " Evidence that can be used in a court based on science. It can be blood tests, ballistics, and DNA." Over the years, there have been many cases where false forensic evidence has wrongly convicted or acquitted cases. There are other cases where forensic evidence has played a big part in correctly convicting or acquitting cases.
There have been many cases in Australia alone, where forensic evidence has been used to decide the guilt or innocence of someone accused of a crime. However, there are occasions
where this evidence is flawed, leading to innocent people being convicted or guilty people walking free. An example of flawed evidence leading to a conviction is the Henry Keogh case. In 1994, Henry Keogh was accused of murdering his fiancé, Anna-Jane Cheney through assisted drowning, or at least this is what Dr Colin Manock, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Ms Cheney, had stated. In the autopsy, there was no exclusion of the possibility that she had simply fallen in the bath, hit her head, rendered herself unconscious and drowned without assistance. Henry Keogh was arrested for murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole due to that flawed evidence. Later on down the track, Professor Derrick John Pounder and Dr Matthew Joseph Lynch looked at the original autopsy, only to find out it was flawed. They had said that there was no excluded possibility that Ms Cheney's drowning was accidental and unassisted. (ABC News) In 1984, Ms Johanne Hatty was strangled then sexually assaulted in Sydney on her way home from work. At the of the murder, the police and forensic analysts were unable to collect and analyse enough evidence to persecute anyone. However, as forensic evidence and DNA analysing technology advanced, they were able to match the DNA found on Ms Hatty's body to David Graham Fleming and convicted him to 21 years in prison. (news.com.au) 1993, a baby, just nine-months old, was admitted to Adelaide Children's hospital with many horrific signs of abuse and was dead on arrival. The pathologist who conducted the post-mortem found a multitude of bruises and a severe fracture of the spinal column. He then stated that the child had died of bronchopneumonia and the spinal column fracture was due to the attempts of revival. Later on, a coroner then found the same mistakes made by the same pathologist, in not one, or two, but three cases. All three of these cases were beaten up babies all put in the system as death by pneumonia. As these cases were down as pneumonia, no one has been charged with the abuse and murder of these babies. This is one example of a cases where no conviction was made and a wrongful acquittal has been made. Forensic evidence can be flawed. There are times when cases with suspected innocent people, who were convicted, are reopened with 'new evidence' or an advanced way of forensic analysis. These cases may end with proof of innocence or an acquittal, and other times it truly proves their guilt
Forensic evidence has been used in many ways to solve crimes both past and present. Crimes that were committed decades ago can still be solved and present cases can be solved faster than ever. Forensic evidence has a major impact in the courtroom and can help to prove innocence or guilt, and whether the case ends as a conviction or an acquittal.
There have been many cases in Australia alone, where forensic evidence has been used to decide the guilt or innocence of someone accused of a crime. However, there are occasions
where this evidence is flawed, leading to innocent people being convicted or guilty people walking free. An example of flawed evidence leading to a conviction is the Henry Keogh case. In 1994, Henry Keogh was accused of murdering his fiancé, Anna-Jane Cheney through assisted drowning, or at least this is what Dr Colin Manock, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on Ms Cheney, had stated. In the autopsy, there was no exclusion of the possibility that she had simply fallen in the bath, hit her head, rendered herself unconscious and drowned without assistance. Henry Keogh was arrested for murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole due to that flawed evidence. Later on down the track, Professor Derrick John Pounder and Dr Matthew Joseph Lynch looked at the original autopsy, only to find out it was flawed. They had said that there was no excluded possibility that Ms Cheney's drowning was accidental and unassisted. (ABC News) In 1984, Ms Johanne Hatty was strangled then sexually assaulted in Sydney on her way home from work. At the of the murder, the police and forensic analysts were unable to collect and analyse enough evidence to persecute anyone. However, as forensic evidence and DNA analysing technology advanced, they were able to match the DNA found on Ms Hatty's body to David Graham Fleming and convicted him to 21 years in prison. (news.com.au) 1993, a baby, just nine-months old, was admitted to Adelaide Children's hospital with many horrific signs of abuse and was dead on arrival. The pathologist who conducted the post-mortem found a multitude of bruises and a severe fracture of the spinal column. He then stated that the child had died of bronchopneumonia and the spinal column fracture was due to the attempts of revival. Later on, a coroner then found the same mistakes made by the same pathologist, in not one, or two, but three cases. All three of these cases were beaten up babies all put in the system as death by pneumonia. As these cases were down as pneumonia, no one has been charged with the abuse and murder of these babies. This is one example of a cases where no conviction was made and a wrongful acquittal has been made. Forensic evidence can be flawed. There are times when cases with suspected innocent people, who were convicted, are reopened with 'new evidence' or an advanced way of forensic analysis. These cases may end with proof of innocence or an acquittal, and other times it truly proves their guilt
Forensic evidence has been used in many ways to solve crimes both past and present. Crimes that were committed decades ago can still be solved and present cases can be solved faster than ever. Forensic evidence has a major impact in the courtroom and can help to prove innocence or guilt, and whether the case ends as a conviction or an acquittal.