The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama

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On 21st July 2008, 21-year-old Somali, Farah Jama was sentenced to six years behind bars for the rape of a middle-aged woman as she lay unconscious in a Melbourne nightclub.

Throughout the trial Jama had maintained his innocence against the accusations he committed such a predatory, heinous crime.

But the Prosecution had one ‘rock solid’ piece of evidence that nailed the accused––his DNA.

Nearly 18 months after Jama’s incarceration, his conviction was overturned when a mother’s profound faith in her son’s innocence, a prosecutor’s tenacious pursuit of truth and justice and a defence lawyer’s belief in his client, brought forth revelations that overturned one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Victorian legal history.

When journalist and lawyer, Julie Szego, set out to explore how a travesty of such magnitude could occur, she assumed she could tell the tale with journalistic detachment, delivering judgment from on high.

Instead, she found an intriguing and confronting story about the heartache of migration and the trials of integration, cultural taboos and gender wars, and the unseen prejudice that casts its spell over even the most enlightened minds. Farah Jama’s story made her question the wisdom of relying exclusively on DNA evidence as proof of guilt, and it challenged her long-held belief that the justice system was vacuum-sealed in reason.

Awards: Shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction (2014), NSW Premier’s Literary Award – Multicultural (2015) and the Sisters in Crime Award (2015)

Julie Szego

On 21st July 2008, 21-year-old Somali, Farah Jama was sentenced to six years behind bars for the rape of a middle-aged woman as she lay unconscious in a Melbourne nightclub.

Throughout the trial Jama had maintained his innocence against the accusations he committed such a predatory, heinous crime.

But the Prosecution had one ‘rock solid’ piece of evidence that nailed the accused––his DNA.

Nearly 18 months after Jama’s incarceration, his conviction was overturned when a mother’s profound faith in her son’s innocence, a prosecutor’s tenacious pursuit of truth and justice and a defence lawyer’s belief in his client, brought forth revelations that overturned one of the worst miscarriages of justice in Victorian legal history.

When journalist and lawyer, Julie Szego, set out to explore how a travesty of such magnitude could occur, she assumed she could tell the tale with journalistic detachment, delivering judgment from on high.

Instead, she found an intriguing and confronting story about the heartache of migration and the trials of integration, cultural taboos and gender wars, and the unseen prejudice that casts its spell over even the most enlightened minds. Farah Jama’s story made her question the wisdom of relying exclusively on DNA evidence as proof of guilt, and it challenged her long-held belief that the justice system was vacuum-sealed in reason.

Awards: Shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction (2014), NSW Premier’s Literary Award – Multicultural (2015) and the Sisters in Crime Award (2015)

‘It began to gnaw at him, at first an inkling, then an obsession:

Farah Jama was truly innocent. Sonnet (Associate Crown Prosecutor) decided then that he didn’t want to grant Jama a re-trial.

He wanted to deliver him an acquittal.’

2014 | 9780987381149 | 276 pages | Paperback | 234 x 154 mm | True Crime Investigation
Non-fiction Journalism, True Crime Investigation, Farah Jama, Conviction, Law, Justice, Truth, Victorian legal history, The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama, Julie Szego
9780987381149
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In the style of literary non-fiction comes a compelling, true story that will appeal to mystery, crime and “CSI” aficionados and anyone interested in justice for all in the midst of cultural diversity.

“A fascinating account of what can go wrong if the presumption of innocence is just a catch-cry. This book shows how dangerous it is when DNA evidence is allowed to trump common sense. I did not know of this trial until I read the book: I could not wait to find out how it went so wrong. The DNA evidence made no sense; the verdict seemed irrational. The result was a terrible injustice. To everyone.”

— Julian Burnside, AO QC, barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author

Photo of Julie Szego — Julie Szego began her career as a lawyer before switching to journalism, spending over 12 years at The Age newspaper. She has also worked as a freelance journalist and senior Fairfax columnist, writing on a wide range of social, cultural and gender issues. Read more