What is it with this desire to store the bodily fluids of the entire UK population. Some of us have seen enough sci-fi and Hammer horror films to know when there’s something shady going on. It’s got to be an evil insect overlord or an attempt to create a patchwork new life-form. I am going with the latter. I am almost sure I spotted an Igor outside Scotland Yard.
The “new DNA spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers” clearly thinks the parameters of his job are a bit on the narrow side. Having a huge swathe of the adult UK population’s DNA (almost ten per cent) isn’t enough to satisfy this chap’s crazed thirst for human genetic material.
Gather the pitchforks and burning torches, fellow peasant villagers. Now, they’re baying for the blood of innocents.
Last week it emerged that the number of 10 to 18-year-olds placed on the DNA database after being arrested will have reached around 1.5 million this time next year. Since 2004 police have had the power to take DNA samples from anyone over the age of 10 who is arrested, regardless of whether they are later charged, convicted, or found to be innocent.”
Not enough for the Baron, sadly. Under-ten year-olds are escaping. What, how dare they?
Primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour indicating they may become criminals in later life, according to Britain’s most senior police forensics expert.
Hmm, profiling? So, kids below the age at which they can actually be held criminally responsible are criminalised. Not being formally accused – they’re junior school kids, remember -they are without access to the normal set of checks and balances that exist to protect adults from unfair accusation – access to a solicitor, and so on.
I agree that there are some truly damaged feral-style kids. Would this do anything to help them or the people they might victimise? No. Would it classify a whole collection of kids as potential criminals? Obviously, yes. And this is a good thing, because?
Obviously Baron Frankenpugh isn’t going to get his wish granted immediately. No, this report is just going to add to a general culture of Stasification. One more insane bit of background noise contributing to what passes for “thought processes” in the mass of fools who say “It’s inevitable” “If you haven’t got anything to hide, you have nothing to fear” and so on.
Excellent post and I couldn’t agree more.
It is almost beyond belief that someone could call for the effective criminalisation of children based on an assessment of their behaviour being a possible indicator that they may commit a crime in the future.
What a terrifying Orwellian world. I would like to leave now…
Heather:
This suggestion instantly reminded me of the film Minority Report. It also made me want to weep at the complete and utter lack of any understanding of how genes and environment interact.
Just before I read this post, I read about 1 dead kid and 2 hospitalised ones, who seem to have had methadone. Shouldn’t somebody also next forcibly sterilise drug addicts, since their children happen to be at great risk to their life, not just of turning criminal due to the unusual circumstances in their family? The question is :where does it stop?
Yesterday the BBC interviewed a school head teacher who is retiring after 37 years. He said in his experience, of his 6000 students, very few were terrible kids and yes, they are demonised unfairly. I am more inclined to believe his experience than any government stats.
I am astounded at how civil liberties have reduced dramatically even in the decade or so I have lived here. Odd though that China’s tanks on Tibet’s streets make news headlines, while our government’s attempts at criminalising an entire generation seem to make no waves at all or be deemed worthy of any discussion.
Shefaly
Absolutely. I should have thought of Minority Report.
Civil liberties seem to be disappearing down the plughole and very few people seem to even notice, lat alone care.
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