DNA Analysis Overtakes Fingerprints in Crime Investigation
Image: EPA / Laurent Gillieron
The importance of biological identification in the investigation of crimes is on the increase. The crime laboratory of the National Bureau of Investigation is examining DNA samples about twice as often as it resorts to fingerprint analysis.
DNA studies have surged in the past ten years. Last year the NBI crime laboratory examined 6,000 DNA samples. In the same period of time, the laboratory analysed 3,000 fingerprints.
The DNA bank set up by the bureau already has 100,000 DNA samples taken in connection with criminal investigations. The fingerprint registry, which has been in use for decades, has 250,000 samples.
Breakthrough of the Century
Kimmo Himberg, the head of the NBI’s crime laboratory, sees DNA technology to be one of the most important breakthroughs in police work in the past century. Ne says that it can be utilised in nearly all types of criminal investigations, with the possible exception of certain economic and communications crimes.
He notes that criminals nearly always leave some of their own DNA at every crime scene. “If we manage to find it, the perpetrator can be identified immediately on its basis.”
Missing Rapist Found with Help of DNA Bank
DNA testing is a valuable tool especially in the investigation of sex crimes and crimes of violence.
“Fairly typical targets of our investigation have been blood and semen samples.
The DNA bank has also been useful when the suspect has disappeared.
“Recently an underage sex crime victim became pregnant. We identified the DNA of the mother and of the child, which gave us a partial DNA profile of the possible father. We found three possible father candidates in our DNA bank. In further investigations, one of these candidates proved to be the perpetrator.”
International Information Exchange Increases
The DNA banks of the European Union countries are exchanging more information.
“We have made extensive exchanges of DNA registry information based on bilateral agreements with our neighbouring countries Sweden and Estonia. As a result, the perpetrators of a significant number of crimes have been found,” says Himberg.
“In the coming years the exchange of information is expending by degrees to other EU countries. International comparison is slowly becoming routine. The registries compare themselves with each other automatically every night.”
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