Police in New South Wales have made a significant breakthrough in a series of cold case investigations, utilizing advanced DNA technology to arrest a suspect in historical sexual assault cases dating back to the 1990s. The arrest of 77-year-old Robert Kwan in South Kempsey on Wednesday marks the first time NSW Police have employed forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) technology to identify a suspect.
The alleged assaults occurred in Wollongong, Dubbo, and Sydney, and were revisited with the help of FIGG, which compares crime-scene DNA against public databases to trace suspects through distant relatives. Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, commander of the Sex Crimes Squad, emphasized the significance of this technological advancement. “It’s a breakthrough technology,” she stated. “The greater we can build up these DNA databases, the more people that allow us to access their DNA, the more of these unsolved crimes we can have an impact on. You could be helping us to solve those serious violent crimes.”
A Case Spanning 35 Years
The alleged attacks began in 1991 when an 11-year-old girl was lured into a car in the Western Sydney suburb of Glendinning and sexually assaulted. In 1996, a 16-year-old girl was attacked after accepting a ride from a stranger in the Wollongong suburb of Kanahooka. The man allegedly assaulted the teenager before dropping her off in nearby Warrawong. In 2002, a 26-year-old woman was assaulted in Dubbo after getting into the car of an unknown man who drove her to a remote campsite and sexually assaulted her.
In 2022, a review of the incidents confirmed that DNA samples collected from each crime scene matched the same male DNA profile. By using FIGG, police identified a close relative of the alleged offender after comparing his DNA profile with two public genealogy databases, GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA. This led to the arrest of Mr. Kwan, who has been charged with multiple sexual assault and kidnapping offenses. He appeared in an online bail court where his defense did not apply for bail, but they indicated plans to do so in the coming weeks. Mr. Kwan was refused bail and is scheduled to face court in Kempsey in April.
The Role of FIGG in Solving Cold Cases
The use of FIGG technology in criminal investigations gained widespread attention in 2018 when it was instrumental in the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the “Golden State Killer,” in the United States. DeAngelo, a former police officer, was linked to 13 murders and over 50 rapes after his DNA was matched with data from the public genealogy website GEDmatch.
Detective Superintendent Doherty explained the advantages of FIGG over traditional DNA methods. “While traditional DNA technology only gave police a handful of DNA markers to use, FIGG can create hundreds of thousands of markers,” she said. “That allows us to connect family relationships as far away as third or fourth cousins. We then use traditional genealogy techniques to investigate and build that family tree [and] eliminate people who couldn’t have committed [the] crime. We keep working it down. This just gives us that little thread.”
Implications and Future Prospects
The successful application of FIGG in these cases underscores the potential of genetic genealogy in solving cold cases and serious crimes. As more individuals contribute their DNA to public databases, law enforcement agencies may find new avenues to pursue justice for victims of unsolved crimes. However, the use of such technology also raises ethical and privacy concerns, which will need to be addressed as its application becomes more widespread.
Looking ahead, the integration of FIGG into routine police work could revolutionize how cold cases are approached, offering hope to victims and their families who have long awaited closure. The arrest of Robert Kwan not only highlights the power of modern technology in criminal investigations but also sets a precedent for future cases in New South Wales and beyond.
