NCJ Number
147339
Journal
Revija za Kriminalistiko in Kriminologijo Volume: 43 Issue: 1 Dated: (1992) Pages: 46-55
Date Published
1992
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article describes the methodology and examines the implications of DNA fingerprinting.
Abstract
Six years ago, genetics and molecular biology found their place in crime investigation and criminal justice. By using a method of genetic print analysis, people can be reliably identified. A sample of biological material that provided a basis for testing has desoxyribonucleic acids extracted from it. These are subsequently analyzed by a method called electrophoresis. The result is a genetic print of the person whose sample was analyzed. Genetic prints obtained by this method can be used for the identification of victims and offenders and for establishing fatherhood and motherhood. The introduction of this kind of evidence has raised many questions pertinent to criminal procedure, police competence, and the relevance of genetic prints as evidence. These issues must be addressed to avoid abuses of genetic print analysis in the future. This method will undergo changes in the future, but it will remain in the forefront as an identification method, while all other identification methods will only marginally complement it. 17 references (Publisher abstract modified)