DNA of innocent to be kept for six years
DNA of innocent to be kept for six years
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By Richard James. |  |
Wednesday, 11, Nov 2009 02:32
By Richard James.
The government has announced revised plans for the controversial DNA database which will see innocent people's DNA profiles kept on record for up to six years.
The decision constitutes something of a U-turn by the Home Office, which had originally planned for a maximum 12 years retention period.
The government has had its hand forced with regards the retention of DNA after the European court of human rights (ECHR) ruled last year the current British practice, where profiles are kept indefinitely regardless of whether they are later convicted, to be illegal.
The Home Office has already deleted the DNA profiles of those under the age of ten in response to the ruling.
The announcement today will see 16 and 17 year old juveniles, arrested but not charged or convicted of serious offences, have their profiles removed after six years.
Those arrested but not charged or convicted of a recordable offence will have their profile scrapped after three years, regardless of their age at the time of arrest.
Anyone convicted of an offence will have their DNA retained indefinitely.
Announcing the plans, home secretary Alan Johnson said: "It is vital that we maintain the capacity of the DNA database to provide as many detections as possible by making sure the right people are on it. But we must balance this with the consideration of when other people should come off.
"I believe the proposals I am announcing today represent the most proportionate approach to DNA retention, as well as the most effective way of ensuring the database continues to help us tackle crime."
The government's case for keeping DNA profiles for up to 12 years was earlier undermined when the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science said its research, which had influenced the original policy, was unfinished and should not have been relied upon.
Today's announcement also did little to appease those who object to the database.
"This is still the most authoritarian approach anywhere," said Phil Booth from NO2ID.
"The government assumes everyone accused of anything must be guilty of something, even if the crime never happened at all.
"That police will already delete a record in exceptional cases, shows that this is really just foot-dragging. Damian Green [Conservative MP] had done nothing wrong; he was able to get his sample removed in a few months."