DNA FINGERPRINTING - AN ETHICAL ISSUE?

Student Activity Who discovered

DNA? and at which university?

What is DNA?

In what year do you think DNA fingerprinting was first developed?

WHAT IS DNA?

DNA was discovered in 1953 by Crick and Watson at Cambridge University

It is the genetic code which makes us unique: physical characteristics such as eye, hair, skin colour etc

DNA is the ‘programme’ by which we inherit things from our parents

DNA fingerprinting discovered in 1987

A small number of our cells can be used to establish our identity

Student Activity How large, in millions, is the DNA

database in the UK?

What percentage success rate is there in matching DNA fingerprint to a crime?

DNA FINGERPRINTING

A single cell of eg blood, saliva or semen will soon be enough to identify us

Database now has over 4.7 million samples on it.

3,000 new samples processed a day at Forensic Science Lab in Birmingham

Large number of samples from unsolved crimes

40% success rate matching samples at crime to an individual

Samples have to be processed very carefully because of danger of contamination

SOME EXAMPLES

DNA fingerprinting has been used to convict the guilty and to release the innocent

Someone picked up on shop-lifting charge was found to be linked to some serious sex attacks thirty years previously

In July 2002 three men walked free in a murder case as a result of advances in DNA technology

15 murders, 31 rapes, 770 car crimes a month in UK solved as a result of DNA technology, 21,000 a year in all.

CASE STUDY: NATIONAL DNA DATABASE (NDNAD) 4.7 million in the UK have their DNA stored on the

NDNAD, the biggest in the world

Up until recently, anyone over 10 who was arrested had their DNA taken. 850,000 of these were subsequently found to be innocent

In 2008 the European Court of Human Rights required the government to change the way DNA was collected for the NDNAD and to destroy DNA samples of those who have not been convicted

WILL CRIMINALS ADAPT? Car thieves routinely throw out contents of ash trays

to get rid of possible DNA samples

BUT the technology is moving so fast and one cell will soon be enough to identify someone and it will be very difficult to remove all possible sources of DNA

A NATIONAL DNA DATABASE FOR ALL: FOR

DNA could be registered at birth

More fair because some of those on it now may be innocent

Vital to prove innocence or guilt

More crimes would be solved

Help keep crime under control

Innocent have nothing to fear

Would contribute to an international database which would help to control eg global terrorism

A NATIONAL DNA DATABASE FOR ALL: AGAINST An invasion of privacy

The state has no right to own this data

Danger that other people may get hold of the data who may use it against our interests

What if we possess a gene for crime?

As the Human Genome Project develops this information could be used by insurance companies to predict our chances of contracting diseases of various sorts

Student Activity FOUR POSSIBILITIES

(1) Only keep the DNA of those who have been convicted of crime

(2) Keep the DNA of anyone convicted of a crime even if subsequently found innocent BUT European Court of Human Rights has ruled against this option

(3) Keep everyone’s DNA

(4) Keep no DNA on record

Choose ONE possibility and find TWO reasons to support your decision