DNA de niños para la policía

La información es de "The Guardian", un diario británico solvente. Viene a decir que las fuerzas de seguridad británicas toman muestras de ADN (material genético) a jóvenes sobre los que no pesa ningún cargo. El asunto es cuando menos inquietante. Aparte que, de cierta manera, están tirando el dinero de los contribuyentes. Las bases de datos de ADN deberían ser de uso restringido. Reconocer a un/a criminal por su huella genética, si se hace de acuerdo a la ley y a las técnicas científicas homologadas, resulta perfectamente aceptable. Pero convertir a los ciudadanos inocentes, de cualquier edad, en rehenes genéticos es indecente y supongo que ilegal. Menuda sociedad democrática nos espera.

"The DNA of thousands of innocent children is being taken by police and stored on the national database, campaigners say on Monday, citing new figures.

Police have taken the DNA of 120,000 children in the last two years, according to figures obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform.
A total of 4,000 children under the age of 13 had their DNA taken in 2011. Police can take DNA from anyone arrested and store it on the database even if they are not charged or convicted of a criminal offence. The Howard League says the figures show a child's DNA is being taken by the police once every 10 minutes.
It says since most people arrested are not charged, it means the DNA of tens of thousands of innocent children is being stored on the national database every year.
Police do not challenge the figures but say they include children whose DNA has been taken when they are victims of crime, or to rule them out from crime scenes, as well as when they are arrested as suspects.
The figures were compiled from freedom of information requests sent to forces in England and Wales.
A total of 53,973 samples were taken from children aged 10-17 in 2011. In 2010 the figure was 69,796". (Información original de "The Guardian")