The San Francisco district attorney’s stunning claim that California crime labs are using DNA from sexual assault survivors to investigate unrelated crimes shocked prosecutors nationwide
FILE - San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin poses outside his office in San Francisco, on Jan. 30, 2020. Boudin's stunning assertion that police crime labs statewide are using rape and sexual assault survivors' DNA without their consent to investigate unrelated crimes has shocked prosecutors nationwide as victims' groups decry a potential chilling effect on reporting. Boudin says he became aware of the"opaque practice" last week.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said his department is investigating. If he finds his department is using victims’ DNA to investigate other crimes, he is committed to ending the practice. Kreag said there could be other instances where someone’s DNA is collected for a specific purpose and then run through a database. For example, homeowners could submit their DNA in a burglary case to exclude them, but later that DNA could be linked to another crime.
In Oakland, law enforcement uses sexual assault victim DNA only"in the context of the case for which the evidence was submitted, not to investigate other cases.” “I think anybody can understand how survivors would be fearful of reporting after hearing this story,” Knecht said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Francisco police used rape kit DNA to arrest victim, DA chargesThe district attorney didn’t identify the database, but said one woman was recently arrested for a felony property crime based on her DNA collected years ago during a domestic violence-involved rape examination.
Read more »
DA: San Francisco police used rape kit DNA to arrest victimSan Francisco’s police chief says he's investigating claims that DNA collected from rape victims is being used to help identify them as possible crime suspects. District Attorney Chesa Boudin says a woman was arrested recently based on her rape kit DNA.
Read more »
DA: San Francisco police used rape kit DNA to arrest victimSan Francisco's police chief says he's investigating claims by the district attorney that DNA collected from rape victims is being used to help identify them as possible crime suspects.
Read more »
San Francisco Cops Used DNA From Rape Victim to Later Arrest HerSan Francisco Cops Used DNA From Rape Victim to Arrest Her Over Property Crime: Report
Read more »
San Francisco police used rape kit DNA to arrest victim linked to another crime, DA saysSan Francisco's police chief said he is investigating claims by the city's district attorney that DNA collected from rape victims is being kept in a database and used to help identify them as possible suspects in crimes.
Read more »
SF District Attorney: Crime Labs In SF, Across California Are Misusing DNA From Rape KitsIn the latest salvo between the San Francisco district attorney and the police department, DA Boudin says SFPD and crime labs across the state are is using DNA from rape kits to identify suspects in crimes.
Read more »