150,000 children on DNA database

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 5 Nov 2007 at 15:44

Around 150,000 young people under the age of 16 are on the national DNA database (NDNAD), according to statistics obtained by the Liberal Democrats.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat shadow home secretary, says: "These figures underline the shocking extent to which this database has intruded, often without parental consent, into the lives of our children... Thousands of these children will have been found guilty of no crime, yet samples of their DNA will remain on file for life."

He called on the government to find a more balanced approach to adding DNA to the database. "The disturbing and illiberal policy of adding a child's most personal information to a massive government computer system, simply on the grounds of an accusation, must stop immediately."

A Home Office spokeswoman said people under the age of 18 make up a quarter of all arrests, so a comparable number on the NDNAD is expected.

"Many offences including burglaries, robberies, criminal damage and drugs offences are committed by under 18s, causing great distress to their victims. Some young people commit very serious offences," the spokeswoman said in a statement.

"It is crucially important that the police have access to DNA intelligence in order to ensure that young persons who commit such crimes are detected as soon as possible - for the sake of their victims and in order to prevent further such crimes."

Last week, the Information Commissioner's Office called on four police forces to delete old conviction data from the separate Police National Computer, stirring debate on the issue.