There have been a number of successes as a result of inter-jurisdictional NCIDD matching. The following are a few examples of how Australian police are solving major crime with the assistance of jurisdictional forensic biologists and DNA intelligence provided by NCIDD. All the cases mentioned below are in the public domain.
The Advertiser - November 5 2007
Forensic Science SA has loaded more than 20,000 DNA suspect profiles and 8400 crime scene profiles since SA joined the national DNA database CrimTrac on August 14.
SA Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Harrison said DNA "links" with suspects interstate had been established in a range of "very serious offences", including rape, assault and abduction.
"In the next couple of weeks we are hoping to execute an arrest or arrests for historical sex crimes, principally rapes, which were unsolved until the national system came into place," Mr Harrison said.
"We've now matched with a suspect that we didn't know existed, with a suspect whose profile was picked up (interstate)."
Mr Harrison said there had been 1300 "link reports" with some interstate databases, of which 513 were being followed up as "substantial" new leads.
The national database has been receiving DNA profiles from every state and territory except NSW, which is yet to begin loading information.
"The reality is we will be solving some very historical serious crimes because we've had links through the national system," Mr Harrison said.
"Some of those (links) are for very serious offences and there is a number in the pipeline now that we are pursuing."
Attorney-General Michael Atkinson yesterday said the latest DNA link figures showed why the Government "is investing in DNA profiling as a crime-fighting tool".
"We are starting to see new leads uncovered in historical crimes that perhaps may not ever have been solved through traditional policing methods," Mr Atkinson said.
"We can expect even more links to unsolved crimes as time progresses."
In 1993, a man raped a female in Mitchelton. An unidentified male DNA profile was obtained from the crime scene samples and placed onto NCIDD. The Queensland crime sample linked to the profile of a 35 year old male from the Northern Territory.The man was extradited from the NT and was sentenced to eight years jail.
In 1998, a man allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in Surfers Paradise.Crime scene sample profiles were placed onto NCIDD and a link occurred with a Western Australia person profile. A brief of evidence has been compiled for extradition purposes.
A woman had finished work at the Ocean Blue Cafe in Esperance in Western Australia and was walking home alone along the foreshore. The offender approached the woman and grabbed her from behind, holding a knife to her throat and forcing her to a bush area where she was sexually assaulted. The crime remained unsolved for two years. A WA crime scene profile on NCIDD matched with a Queensland person profile. The suspect was extradited and convicted for the offence, and sentenced to four years jail.
A 14 year old female was with a group of friends at a watering hole in bushland at Kiwirrkurra, Western Australia. Four males approached the group and began to behave offensively. The young girls ran from the group; however one was caught and was allegedly sexually assaulted by the four males.The case remained unsolved for over five years. In February 2006, following the uploading of profiles in the Northern Territory onto NCIDD a person of interest to the investigation was identified.
A prisoner at Casuarina Prison in Western Australia was stabbed in the neck by an unknown offender. NCIDD identified a person Northern Territory 23 January 2006.This case had remained unsolved for over five years.
The crime scene profiles from a number of Western Australian armed robberies crime were matched with a person from Queensland on 14 June 2005. Nine armed robberies were eventually linked to the person, the oldest of which had remained unsolved for five years.
A person had committed a number of burglaries in Western Australia. He was identified on 24 January 2006 as a person from the Northern Territory. The oldest offence had remained unsolved for three and half years.
A man accused of a brutal rape in St Kilda was extradited from West Australia to Victoria in April 2008. He has also been charged with intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, and assault. He is due to appear in court in August. Victoria Police acted on a DNA match that occurred through CrimTrac’s NCIDD as part of their ongoing investigation into the crime. Victoria Police are investigating an additional 323 inter-jurisdictional matches which have occurred through NCIDD.