Mod. verzoekt om de vrijwillige' steekproeven van DNA `

Het Ministerie van Defensie (Mod.) vraagt bewapend krachtenpersoneel om vrijwillig de steekproeven die van DNA voor te leggen tot vrees leiden dat zij een deel van een groter nationaal DNA- gegevensbestand worden.

Onder Staatssecretaris voor defensie Derek Twigg vertelde het Lagerhuis dat de vrijwillige voorlegging van DNA een geleidelijk proces over de strijdkrachten is geweest. In 1999 werden alle vliegtuigbemanningsloodsen gevraagd om steekproeven vrijwillig voor te leggen. This year the ministry is extending the voluntary policy to all personnel and civilian staff deploying on operations according to Twigg and by next year all new recruits will be asked to voluntarily submit samples. Finally, all remaining personnel who do not fit into one of these categories will be asked to give DNA samples.

Twigg defended the voluntary samples, saying that if a member of the forces had died, getting a DNA sample from a member of family could be traumatic.

“DNA matching is a near-failsafe method of identifying a deceased individual but only if there is a reference sample with which to compare the bodily remains,” Twigg stated.

“The aim of our voluntary DNA sampling scheme is to…. enable deceased personnel to be identified quickly and with less intrusion on the family.”

All samples are currently taken through blood, but soon the MoD will begin using cheek swabs.

Once the samples are taken they are stored in secure filing cabinets in rooms that have very limited access according to Twigg. Unless the donator signs a waiver, the samples cannot be accessed by the police or other criminal investigative units, and they will not be placed in the national DNA database.

However this will not reassure critics of the plan because Twigg admitted that a court order could force the MoD to release the DNA samples to law enforcement officials.

Otherwise the samples are left alone for up to 45 years when they are destroyed. Armed forces personnel are allowed to ask for the samples to be destroyed when they leave the forces Twigg acknowledged.

Public Servant

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