The conviction today, 32 years after Lesley Molseed was murdered, of her killer is an example of fantastic work by the police and highlight how valuable DNA evidence is in catching criminals. However, the facts of this case have been twisted by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in a cynical way.
On BBC Five Live earlier the Home Secretary said that the reason Ronald Castree was caught was because his DNA had been kept on the DNA register, which enabled the police to subsequently find a match to Lesley Molseed, which led to his conviction. This sounds great, but it is not true.
Every person arrested is DNA checked these days. The DNA of Lesley Molseed's attacker was already on the database. When Ronald Castree was arrested in connection with another sexual offence, he was DNA checked, and this was what brought up the match with Lesley. it had nothing to do with his DNA being kept on the register for ever, which is what the government wants.
Mow I am actually in favour of a DNA register. I think it is accurate, will help the police eliminate innocent people quickly and will help solve crimes (I await the wails and howls from people calling me illiberal). However, when the government lies in order to justify such a register, I am naturally sceptical of its merits.
3 comments:
Nick - I do not think you are being illiberal in your desire to see a DNA database - I think this is something " liberals " too easily dismiss. I actually represent the ward in which Lesley Molseed lived - the same ward that Stefan and his brave mother and aunt lived in. I am against having to carry a ID card with me but I do think that everbody should have their DNA kept on a database from birth - I am convinced crime - rape murder etc would fall dramatically - the party should seriously discuss this. Yes 1984 et al would be thrown at us by true liberals but I'm convinced
I would like to congratulate you on having invented the time machine. With this you have obviously looked forward in time and can now guarantee present and future generations that these isles will never, ever, face a tyrannical goverment that may seek to misuse this information. Thus it is completely safe to have this genetic database on file.
However, it also begs the question ~ why can't you just use said machine to tell us about every crime that is going to be committed, so that we can prevent them from happening?
Harry, nice to see you picking on one line rather than the substantive point.
Your argument could be used in every case. Nuclear weapons ? Some tyrrant might decide to bomb Manchester ? Privatising services - Some foreigner might close down all our vital services ? and on and on.
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