New partnership hopes DNA will help solve First Nations cold cases

A new partnership aims to employ modern forensic techniques to investigate First Nations cold cases across Australia. The Disappeared Project is spearheading a dedicated, community-led database that will operate independently of government. The project hopes to support international investigations as well. Monique Clubb's family has been searching for answers since her disappearance in 2013.

For 13 years, her siblings have lived with unanswered questions, emphasizing the need for closure. The Disappeared Project's co-founder, Martin Hodgson, a Yuin human rights lawyer, noted that Australian authorities lack data on the number of Indigenous people who are missing or have been murdered. The project partners with forensic geneticist Dr Jodie Ward and UK charity Locate International to create a culturally sensitive database and DNA program.

Their goal is to reinvestigate cases, locate remains, and conduct independent DNA testing to provide answers and closure for families. Forensic investigative genetic genealogy has been successfully used to track criminals, including in Australia. The new dedicated First Nations database, created with the Disappeared Project, will be community-led and independent of government to ensure cultural sensitivity.

Dr Ward stressed that many Indigenous people might not feel comfortable sending their DNA overseas, so the project aims to develop local, secure DNA databases for consensual DNA contributions. These databases can then be used to identify remains and compare them with the Stolen Generations' survivors. Dr Mark Greenhaigh, CEO of Locate International, emphasized the partnership's potential to provide a more formidable response to cold cases globally.

The Clubb siblings remain hopeful, stating that every new opportunity matters in their ongoing quest for answers.