Hundreds of court cases to be reviewed after police forensics unit staff member arrested

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Hundreds of court cases including child abuse and sexual offences are being reviewed, after a member of the Victoria Police forensics unit was arrested in august. The ABC has obtained a letter that shows police are re-extracting nearly a decade's worth of data from devices as the cyber-crime unit investigates work carried out by an officer based in Bendigo.

Transcript

00:00It's an investigation that's thrown hundreds of cases over almost a decade into doubt.

00:08Certainly speaking to colleagues, I think all of us have got matters that this is affected which is obviously causing distress.

00:14The ABC has seen a letter saying Victoria Police is re-extracting data from phones and other devices

00:21as part of an audit of the work carried out by an unsworn forensics officer who worked in a Bendigo laboratory.

00:28Police confirming in a statement this afternoon that a staff member from Crime Command

00:33was arrested on the 5th of August as part of a professional standards investigation

00:38and that the staff member is currently suspended with pay and that investigation is being undertaken by the Cybercrime Squad.

00:46The staff member has not been charged and the ABC is not aware of the exact details of the allegations he's facing.

00:53The letter, seen by the ABC, outlined the officer's role was in the search, seizure and preservation of digital evidence

01:00from devices involved in crimes.

01:02It says the devices will need to be re-extracted and analysed.

01:07Victoria Police says 77 cases currently before the courts could be affected by the audit.

01:12But the ABC understands hundreds of past cases could also be affected allegedly involving child abuse and sexual offence material.

01:21It's raised serious concerns among the legal fraternity.

01:25In terms of trials we're already looking at years so this could blow that out quite significantly.

01:30While victims of crime organisations say it will erode confidence in the legal process.

01:35Every adjournment chips away at the faith in the system and continues on putting the victim survivor through added pressure.

01:46The Australian Federal Police says it's working with Victoria Police on the matter.

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