it only goes to show …

… that the innocent have nothing to fear. The guilty, however, had better look out.

this article, in today’s Times explains how a serial rapist “was traced when DNA from his sister — taken in relation to a drink-driving offence — was matched to semen samples taken from the rapist’s victims between 1983 and 1986.”

while I’m very pleased that this chap has been caught, and has pleaded guilty, why are they taking DNA from a drink driver?

11 thoughts on “it only goes to show …”

  1. The police are entitled to fingerprint and/or DNA sample anyone charged with a recordable offence, without the consent of the person concerned.

    http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd%5B347%5D=x-347-508126

    So, if the pigs want your DNA all they have to do is trump up some charges and they can force you.

    Otherwise, they could just decide to ask everyone in an area to “volunteer” in order to help with inquiries, and record the fact that you didn’t “volunteer”.

    1. Retinal scans and fingerprints will of course come in with ID cards — assuming they ever happen, which I now severely doubt because I think the chances of a working Labour majority in the next parliament are becoming vanishingly small.

      In the unlikely event that ID cards and the national ID database do continue to go ahead, I wouldn’t be surprised if, during your visit to your friendly neighbourhood interrogation registration centre, you were ‘invited’ to give a DNA sample – and that failure to ‘volunteer’ would be noted in the ID database.

          1. You think that long? If the anti-libertarian stance of the present shower continues with the next lot, I can foresee this occurring much sooner. Call me pessimistic if you want, but…

            Alice.

Comments are closed.