National DNA Database Compulsary?

[Churchill]

Because the most emotional crimes are those that involve children who are unable to physically defend themselves and rely on adults to protect them

The rest tends to be the usual outside the kebab shop Saturday night type stuff

HTH

I refer you to my earlier post.

And for clarification...

Get ****ed again!

[SueEllen]

and they are the ones that are usually easy to solve with existing techniques.

It's the attacks by strangers that this (mainly) would address

Can't remember the statistics for it but attacks from strangers for both children and women are very rare.

All the DNA will prove is that the person known to the family or indeed family member is likely to be the child's killer.

[BankingContractor]

That's just a stupid question to ask - of course he'd change his mind if that scenario happened.

The point is to come up with the answer that is best for society, rationally, responsibly and honestly, and not when someone's under extreme emotional stress.

We all moan how Middle East punishements are so barbaric when they end up killing the perpetrator, but then go on a vigilante hunt and ask to bring back hanging when a heinous crime is commit. We need to decide before the event and not in a reactionary manner afterwards.

All valid points... but if, God forbid something untoward happened to your kids would you be so negative?

If we had a Yorkshire Ripper style serial killer on the loose (and remember he innocent women too) would it not be helpful in tracking down the suspect before he killed again?

[KathyWoolfe]

I am against a National DNA database mainly because I distrust the people who would run it and the people who would use it.

Yes, it would make finding criminals easier and even easier to convict someone when they are caught.

But what happens when you run foul of some policeman (say in traffic) and he makes a wrong call and you get the best of him.
What is to stop him getting revenge by planting your DNA at some crime scene. Not a lot I suspect.

It wasn't that long ago that an innocent guy was shot dead in a tube train and all the police got in way of remonstration was a reproof for "not following Health and Safety Guidelines".

So, no. The system is far too open to abuse and pure downright incompetence to be considered.
I would rather a guilty man go free than an innocent man be convicted.

[Troll]

I refer you to my earlier post.

And for clarification...

Get ****ed again!

diddums

[Churchill]

diddums

You're the one playing the emotional blackmail card.

It's tits like you who end up doing the government's dirty work for them.

[scooterscot]

So it's the fault of the immigrants.... like it!

I think they have a hand to play...

[Lucifer Box]

All valid points... but if, God forbid something untoward happened to your kids would you be so negative?

If we had a Yorkshire Ripper style serial killer on the loose (and remember he innocent women too) would it not be helpful in tracking down the suspect before he killed again?

No, because that is a null argument.

You could make that argument about any procedure and to justify any procedure. For example, CCTV cameras in everyone's house and all citizens to wear locator tags at all times. After all, it would stop your children from being killed by a serial killer right?

Wrong.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

This is a (mostly) quality debate.

I am opposed to a universal DNA database for the same reasons I've been actively campaigning against ID cards for the last 3 years.

It is morally wrong to change the relationship we have with the state and assume we are all suspects.

However, even if it wasn't morally wrong, it just won't do the wonderful things claimed for it - any more than CCTV has stopped crime or speed cameras have stopped people speeding.

That said, one could argue that slavery was pointless because machines were more effective - but slavery would still be morally wrong, and so is any form of the government stealing our identities and licensing them back to us.

[SueEllen]

I think they have a hand to play...

No the UK government has a hand to play.

There the ones who brought in the legislation inviting people into the UK from the Commonwealth, allowing people UK citizenship based on marriage and allowing people from other EU states to work in the UK unchecked.

Anyway are EU nationals going to be on the DNA database? If they are what is the criteria for putting them on the database? Will other EU states shout foul if their nationals are on the UK database?

Otherwise all unsolved crimes are just going to be blamed on EU nationals as non-EU nationals in the UK are going to have to provide DNA samples as part of UK entry requirements according to other government proposals.