The Saga Prefectural Police have been under scrutiny due to revelations about repeated misconduct by a former employee at their scientific investigation laboratory regarding DNA testing. The National Police Agency is looking into 130 cases deemed inappropriate by the Saga Prefectural Police, and it has released a second interim report on its special inspection. This report indicates that the consequences of misconduct in 19 of these cases on investigations remain undetermined, raising concerns about the transparency and reliability of forensic evidence used in criminal proceedings.

The National Police Agency began a special inspection in October of last year to explore the ramifications of the questionable DNA tests. Initial findings in a report from November confirmed there were no wrongful arrests due to mistaken identification linked to these cases. However, they acknowledged that further examination was necessary for 41 of the cases, some of which included non-criminal investigation purposes. As investigations progressed, 22 of these cases were found to have no confirmed impact, but concerns linger regarding the remaining 19 due to either inability to conduct further analysis or failure to detect DNA in reanalysis.

Ultimately, the agency concluded that the potential for these 19 cases to have affected the identification of suspects cannot be dismissed. This uncertainty reflects broader implications for ongoing trust in forensic methodologies and the legal processes that depend on them, particularly in light of the urgent need for systemic reforms within law enforcement institutions across Japan to uphold the integrity of criminal justice.