Government to review DNA database

Children under the age of 10 will no longer have their DNA stored on the national database, the Government has said.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith conceded that it was inappropriate to do this as children of this age are below the age of criminal responsibility. Around 70 children will now have their profiles removed immediately.

"The DNA of children under 10 — the age of criminal responsibility — should no longer be held on the database. There are around 70 such cases, and we will take immediate steps to take them off," she said.

The UK’s vast DNA database has been in the spotlight of late. It holds the details of around 4.5 million people, about seven per cent of the population. However, many have not been convicted of any crime and the Government was recently severely criticised by the European Court of Human Rights for this.

It said that when a person has not been convicted of an offence they are " entitled to the presumption of innocence". It went on to say the UK Government "had overstepped any acceptable margin of appreciation in this regard".

Now Ms Smith has said that although the database is "crucial" for public protection and to help the police solve serious crimes, the Home Office is going to review the situation regarding children.

She said it would consider storing their DNA "possibly based on age, or on risk, or on the nature of the offences involved". In addition older children who do have their DNA stored may be able to have it removed from the database once they reach adulthood.

"For those under the age of 18, I think we need to strike the right balance between protecting the public and being fair to the individual.

"There's a big difference between a 12-year-old having their DNA taken for a minor misdemeanour and a 17-year-old convicted of a violent offence," she said.