UK National DNA Database Flashcards
Introduction
- One of the most significant innovations in crime fighting in recent history
- Has provided more than half a million matches to unsolved crimes to date
- Provides police with vital intelligence during investigations
- Enables police to link crimes that are not obviously connected
- Saves police a large amount of time and money on enquiries by identifying suspects quickly
- Gives police a tool to revisit cold cases that would otherwise remain unsolved
- 1946 murder- last person to see the victim exonerated after 50 years
Background
- Launched April 1995 to cover England and Wales
- Aimed to identify suspects committing serious crimes
- Key principle: criminals that commit most serious crimes often commit less serious crimes first (Yorkshire ripper)
- Suspects identified quickly if already on database
- Owned by the HO- often 36 vetted individuals have access
- 2016/17 became part of the Forensic Information Databases Service (FINDS) that combines the DNA databases with the national fingerprint database
- Also takes responsibility for the forensic archive
- Effectively two linked databases
o DNA from known individuals
o Crime scene DNA data - Database is PRO-ACTIVE – looking for suspects when you have DNA from the crime scene
- Key to success is have a large number of people on the database and sensitive techniques to detect the DNA
- Since 2001 has produce around 675,000 matches to unsolved crimes
What are someother collections?
**Missing persons DNA database(MPDD) **
o DNA profiles belongings of missing people e.g., toothbrush as has a good DNA profile generally
o DNA profiles from close relative of missing people
o DNA profiles of unidentified bodies
o About 2000 profiles
o 3 matches in 2017/18
Vulnerable persons DNA database (VPDD)
o DNA profiles of people at risk of harm who have asked to have profile stored
o Not stored on the NDNAD
o Currently about 4500 records held
**Counter terrorism DNA database (CTDNAD) **
**Central elimination database (CED) **
o Currently under development
o Police elimination database
o Manufacturers elimination database
o Contamination elimination database
**Rapid DNA **
o Since March 2018- about 800 records
Whats some governance?
*** FINDS strategy board (2017) **
o Police
o Police commissioners
o Home office
o Forensic biometrics and group chair
o Information and biometric commissioners
o Forensic regulator
o Police representative of Scotland and Ireland
*** Biometrics and forensics ethics group (BFEG) (2017) **
o Ethical issues associated with all forensic identification tools
What are the reference DNA profiles?
- Reference Samples from known individuals (CJ samples)
- Arrested individuals
- Associated victims, relatives, and volunteer samples
o Can only be used in relation to the reference case - Intimate (blood)- needs consent
- Non-intimate (mouth swabs or plucked hair) taken without consent
- Laboratory needs to be accredited specifically to load samples to the database
What information is on the DNA reference database?
*** The DNA profiles **
o SGM- 6 loci, 12 numbers (before 1996)
o SGM Plus 10 loci + Amelogenin, 20 numbers (beyond 1996)
o DNA17- 16 loci plus Amelogenin, 32 numbers (2017)
o Number are the numbers of alleles of that profile
o **Male-female indicator as well today **
- 8-digit barcode links to collection
- Also in the collection is the: **Name, sex, ethnicity code of reference individual **
*** Arrest summons number **
o Sample linked to information on police national computer (PNC)
o PNC is series of linked data on criminals, vehicles, and property
- Attempt to match crime scene profile with an individual
What power do the police have?
What must they only use the database for?
*** Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 **
o People suspects of committing a recordable offence
o People stopped in relation to a question of terrorism
o Ant sample at a scene of crime
- Must only be used for
o Prevention or detection of crime
o Prosecution of a crime
o Identifying a deceased person
Types of crime scene samples it can identify?
- DNA profiles from human body fluids
- Crime scene samples
o Blood
o Semen
o Saliva
o Skin cells
o Mixtures of people and/ or body fluid types
What is the suitability criteria for entry to the database?
- Crime scene profiles may be very poor
- Minimum criteria to load to database is 4 complete SGM loci (the original 6 loci, this is so they are all compatible with all the different profiles across the years) plus amelogenin
- SGM- D8, D18, D21, FGA, TH01 and VWA
- ‘complete’ means that the allelic composition at a locus must be able to be defined as homozygotic (has to be a set peak so as not a drop-out occurred and is just homozygous), or heterozygotic
- ‘major’ profiles from mixtures
How does it work?
- DNA profiles from suspects added to database during the data and searched against the crime scene profiles overnight
- Matches are reported back to the supplying laboratory
o **A Match ** - Most CJ (criminal justice) samples have 20/20 or 19/20 designed SGM plus components plus gender identification- **full profile **
- Many crime scene samples have fewer designated components because of degradation- **partial profile **
What type of information is search for using this database?
** Person- Person **
o Information on previous convictions, false names, multiple arrests
** Person- Scene **
o Provides possible suspect names
*** Scene- Scene **
o Links crimes
*** Familial links **
o Serious crimes only
o Needs approval by FINDS strategy board
o Can only search reference profiles on NDNAD
o Used with other intelligence- age, geography
o 13 searches only in 2017/18
*** Twins/ triplets **
o Around 9500 sets on NDNAD
o Use fingerprints
Does it work?
- Currently, NDNAD provides matches for the police against 32,000 crimes per annum (over 600 perweek)
- In a typical month matches found linking suspects to:
o 50 murders- Serious crime
o 60 rapes-Serious crime
o 120 crime to crime scene links (serial offenders)
o 200 non routine partial intelligence links
o 2500 motor vehicle, property, and drug crime- volume crime - 66% of all crime scenes where DNA profile is generated links someone on the database- suspect
o 41% lead to recordable outcome - Yes is successful
Example: Murder of Leanne Tiernan
- Abducted in November 2000
- Body found in Woodland August 2001
- Intelligence from local man named John Taylor
- Single hair caught in a knot in a scarf round her neck
- DNA Match
- Other evidence from twine, fibres, and pollen
- Needed to link to someone else so not a chance find but is tied to the scene in other ways
- Database linked him to a 1977 rape, and he pleaded guilty to offences against 5 additional women
Example:
Cold case review
- 1988 rape case
- Police has suspect but insufficient evidence
- 2009 DNA PACE sample taken after an ‘incident with a prostitute’
- Link make to semen found on skirt of 1988 case
- Pleases guilty- he had been expecting this for 20 years
It does work but what are some downsides?
** But **
o Only 15% of crimes have samples taken
o Only 1% provide a DNA profile that can be loaded to the database
** Why? **
o DNA not always left at crime scene (minimal contact)
o Quality of DNA may be poor
Very small amounts
Degraded (Water/ high temperatures)
What are some ethical issues surrounding the database?
- Seen as a threat to privacy- what can they tell us
- Fear of cloning
- No clear link between numbers and disease phenotype
- Surveillance society
- Fear of data security- numbers of breaches of data security already
- Prior to 2007 widespread criticism of retention of profiles and samples in DNA database
o Note CCTV, oyster, Tesco/ Sainsbury etc. used so question the issue with this…
Ethical case with Michael Marper and S
What did the gouvernment do in regard to the Michael Marper and S case?
**Protection of Freedoms act- PoFA (2012) **
- England and Wales
- All samples destroyed within 6 months
- Profiles held for 3 years if arrested for sexual, violent, terrorism or burglary or adult with a disorder penalty notice- unless
o Convicted of crime
o Exceptional circumstances (natural death, alibi, another conviction, false allegation)
o If under 18 and convicted of a minor (first) offence held for 5 years plus length of sentence if under 5 years - Also allows for one off speculative search
What effect did this new law coming into England and Wales have?
What is the current extent of the NDNAs?
What are some technology developments when it comes to the NDNAS?
- Home office biometrics (HOB) programme
o Linked biometrics programmes to law enforcement, border security, and HMPO - Contamination elimination database
o Over 1000 contamination events- one third were linked to unsolved crimes
o Expansion of staff police from related organisations - Rapid DNA
o Rapid DNA technology approved but on hold - Error recording
o Most common is police attributing wrong subject (0.05%)
o FSP crime scene interpretations (0.25%)
