Lack of adequate national forensic medical service is condemned

CRUCIAL evidence in criminal prosecutions could be missed because Ireland does not have an adequate forensic medical examination service, an expert has warned.

Professor Denis Cusack, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at UCD, has called on the Department of Justice to introduce proper structures for the service.

Forensic medical examiners play a vital role in the criminal justice system, fulfilling duties ranging from the analysis of samples taken in suspected drink-driving cases to the examination of sexual-assault victims.