DNA Database Is "Election Issue"
27% of black population on database, charity says
A human rights group says the over representation of black people on the DNA database has become an election issue for Britain's black community.
According to Black Mental Health UK, 27% of the black population are on the database, compared to 9% of the Asian population and 6% of the white population
More than three quarters (77%) of young black men were profiled on the database, the human rights group added.
Matilda MacAttram, director of Black Mental Health UK, said: "The disproportionate numbers of innocent people from African Caribbean communities on the DNA database has turned this into an election issue for black Britons. People want to know where the parties stand on this.”
We asked our local prospective parliamentary candidates to tell us where they stood:
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Merlene Emerson, Liberal Democrats Merlene Emerson |
I agree with Matilda MacAttram. I’ve been a community worker in the black community for over 20 years. I’ve seen the devastating consequences injustice can bring. Studies have shown that when they present any kind of mental health issue, black people are more likely to be given medication instead of talking therapies that often prove very successful. The result is obvious – the root causes of many mental health issues are not addressed. They are only given a temporary medicated solution. Labour are trying to campaign on a fairer future for all, but these examples clearly show that their 13 years in power have not resulted in greater fairness. If they haven’t been able to get it right in the past 13 years, why should we trust them to sort it out in the next five? This isn’t just a election issue for black Britons - it’s one for all Britons. |
DNA evidence is the greatest breakthrough in forensic science since fingerprinting
and has solved many serious crimes previously deemed unsolvable. As importantly, it
has led to the acquittal of others wrongly accused or convicted. The controversy
around it relates to the retention of samples from people not convicted of any
crime. The new Crime and Security Bill currently going through Parliament deals with this issue and allows for the destruction of samples. However, there is continuing debate about how quickly and in what circumstances this should happen. I do not believe, as some do, that everyone should be prepared to give a sample as
this would not discriminate against certain groups, but I am concerned that ethnic |
"I believe that the use of DNA is a vital tool in crime-fighting, but the The attitude of the Government to the database gives cause for concern -DNA profiles are used to pre-judge the motives of an individual without proof of guilt; the fact that 57 percent of those on the database in London comes from black and ethnic minorities, far above their representation in the population as a whole, is not a coincidence. Unlike other countries such as Scotland and Germany, anyone arrested for any |
Black Mental Health UK in association with GeneWatch UK say they are holding a parliamentary reception at the House of Commons on March 2 to explore the impact of the database on black communities.
Dr Helen Wallace, director of Gene Watch UK, said: "The massive expansion of Britain's DNA database has failed to deliver genuine benefits in terms of solving crime, instead it has eroded public trust in policing.
"Young black men are the people most likely to be victims of the Government's attack on everybody's rights."
For further information visit Black Mental Health UK and GeneWatch UK .
26 February 2010
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