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THE DUBLIN RAPE CRISIS Centre (DRCC) has welcomed reports of mass DNA screening being used by gardaí in an effort to solve an alleged sexual assault case, but cautioned that a balanced approach must be taken.
The Irish Times reports that 84 taxi drivers in Dublin will be requested to provide DNA samples in an effort to track down the perpetrator of an attack which took place in December 2015.
The paper reports that the search was narrowed down to drivers of a particular make and model of car through analysis of CCTV footage.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, chief executive of the DRCC Noeleen Blackwell said it is crucial that a serious crime like this is investigated fully, adding that it is important for the victim to see that work is being carried out to solve the case.
However she cautioned that nobody’s rights can be improved by infringing on other’s.
“The rights of victims must be properly pursued, and they must be pursued in a legitimate way.”
We’re heartened to see that the case is being investigated but it will be a matter to ensure the rights of all those suspected of the crime are preserved.
Under the legislation being used to authorise the mass DNA screenings, people cannot be compelled to provide a sample.
“We recognise the right of someone not to hand over any evidence,” Blackwell said. “So it’s a question of keeping that balance, and that’s very much a question for how the guards go about it.
They have to take great care that they’re not requiring innocent people who are out earning their living to account for their movements.
The aim of the database, which became active in 2015, is to assist gardaí in tackling crime by being able to link cases and identify suspects. It also means that the Irish justice system will be able to search and be searchable in other national DNA databases.
Not only will it benefit criminal investigations, the database will also be able to identify missing and unknown persons, including unidentified human remains.
If a person is on the sex register, their DNA can be kept indefinitely.
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Hong Kong’s great days are well gone- I would not even transfer flights there again. Nothing patriotic about his “election”
The lease was up, the British handed it back, there was some assurances given by Beijing at the time but this was just lip service, it’s part of China now, what did we really think was going to happen? This is how China rules, most of the mainlanders were questioning why HK was getting special treatment. That Beijing is not liked in Shanghai either.
@SPQH: *that said, Beijing is not liked by the average Shanghai person either
@SPQH: The Hong Kong man is very real there. Should we also give the CCP Taiwan, Vietnam, Tibet, Bhutan, all of the south China Sea islands, Macau, Mongolia, north India and more simply because of what the CCP claims is historically part of China?
@Paul Cunningham: you’re making an argument where there isn’t one to be made. It wasn’t a claim, it was on a lease. The UK handed back, no one is handing back any of these other places. What’s you’re argument about? That China has leased all these other places?
@Paul Cunningham: I’m not pro China btw, I’m just pointing out that I’m not surprised the way it’s unfolded, and I fear for ROC/Taiwan
Stripping out every value of democracy that HK was supposed to enjoy for another few decades but keeping all the financial institutions of course. it’s all about money, never the people.
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