Developing of DNA Databases for Detection of Perpetrators and Crime Deterrence From Legal and Society Perspective

• In Event: Lightning Talk: Courts and the Law: Research, Challenges, and Innovations

Abstract

Collecting of biological reference materials and processing of DNA profiles in databases allows for detection of perpetrators and crime deterrence. Nevertheless, the processing of genetic data evokes doubts about privacy, presumption of innocence or non-self-incrimination. The research was focused on optimal policies and strategies for developing forensic DNA databases from two perspectives – public views and efficiency.
Public views about utilization of DNA databases were evaluated through survey of about 2 000 respondents in Poland. DNA database was recognized by most of respondents as a tool for detecting perpetrators (91%), monitoring of convicted persons (66%) and reduction of miscarriages of justice (70%). On the other hand, only 27% of respondents admitted that DNA database prevents crime by deterring. Respondents also pointed to significant problems arising from the DNA database - the risk of misuse (48%), the risk of special sample substitution (31%), with only (8%) indicating that the DNA database was ethically questionable.
The performance of DNA databases, expressed as ratio of number of matches between person-stain and number of profiles of persons stored in the database in the following years, calculated for 11 countries, suggests that restricted DNA databases seem to be more efficient than larger databases.

Author

• Dariusz Wilk, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland