DNA of Criminals: Kinship Analysis - Should Close Relatives Be Profiled?

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DNA of Criminals: KinHome » Science & Nature » Forensic Science » DNA & Trace Analysis » DNA of Criminals ship Analysis - Should Close Relatives Be Profiled?

© Karen Lotter
Jun 16, 2008

Should close relatives of criminals be DNA profiled or is it a violation of civil liberties? Will kinship analysis aid the criminal justice system or abuse human rights?

Earlier this year, in Science Daily, Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, voiced his concerns over the ethics of a DNA database. One of the issues that concerned him was whether close relatives of criminals should be profiled. . . .

The rest of this article discusses the ethical ramifications of using DNA from innocent family members to convict criminals. It presents two prominent cases in which this was a successful strategy for law enforcement members.

Genealogists can adapt this type of strategy as well; when one doesn't have the DNA of the person of interest to one's research, one can find a "surrogate" by seeking DNA from other family members.