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What is COND?
The Children Off National DNA Database campaign was launched by Grant Shapps MP on 24th January 2006.
Mr Shapps decided to launch the campaign after taking up the case of a 14 year old son of a constituent who was arrested due to a mistaken identity. That innocent child had its DNA put on national database for life.
Mr Shapps said "in the case of my constituent's son, it was not acceptable that he should be regarded as a suspect when he had done nothing wrong and had been arrested in a case of mistaken identity. How many more people has this happened to? He asked Parliamentary questions that uncovered some startling facts.
750,000 children under-18 have been added to the DNA database in total and of those 24,000 were completely innocent children (i.e. they were not cautioned or charged with any offence) who have been permanently put on the national database.
Mr Shapps’ campaign is to have the innocent children's details removed and to prevent the government creating a national children's DNA database by stealth.
The Daily Telegraph reported recently that the Home Office has recently made it clear that, following representations by Mr Shapps, chief constables have the discretion to destroy the DNA of people who are not charged. Suspects who are arrested can have their DNA recorded even in cases of mistaken identity. However it transpires that Police Constables have not been removing the DNA profile, even though it was collected inadvertently. Grant Shapps explained: "It could easily lead to people make a malicious allegation in order to ensure that an individual ends up with their DNA on the police database on a permanent basis."
He is now campaigning for chief constables to exercise that discretion in relation to all innocent children whose DNA profiles are held on the National DNA Database.
Welwyn Hatfield's campaigning MP stresses that he is not against the DNA Police Database, but claims that the government should come clean about what he describes as a "back door" approach to building a database which encompasses a large proportion of entirely innocent people. |
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