SFPD says use of rape victim's DNA in unrelated criminal investigation 'should not have happened'
By J. R. Stone,
ABC News
| 03. 03. 2022
Wednesday night the San Francisco Police Chief responded to some tough questions from police commissioners about the use of DNA from sex assault survivors being used to investigate other crimes.
The chief says that that information is no longer being used, and at this point in time, it only appears to have been used in identifying one rape victim in a property crime case.
"As of now, you don't know of another case but there could be because you haven't finished auditing all the samples is that fair?" asked San Francisco police commissioner Cindy Elias.
"Well yeah that's fair. I don't know of any other case at this point, but we are in the process of going through all the cases," said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.
Commissioner Elias asked if the past policies that in at least one case, allowed DNA from a 2016 rape victim to be used in helping identify that victim as a property crime suspect, could have been used in other cases too.
"This was something that should not have happened. As far as...
Related Articles
By Mary Annette Pember, ICT News [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 04.18.2025
The sight of a room full of human cadavers can be off-putting for some, but not for Haley Omeasoo.
In fact, Omeasoo’s comfort level and lack of squeamishness convinced her to pursue studies in forensics and how DNA can be...
By Katrina Northrop, The Washington Post | 04.06.2025
photo via Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC by 3.0
China's most infamous scientist is attempting a comeback. He Jiankui, who went to jail for three years after claiming he had created the world's first genetically altered babies, says he remains...
By Anna Louie Sussman, The New York Times | 04.01.2025
When Noor Siddiqui was growing up, her mother developed retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that leads to gradual vision loss. When Ms. Siddiqui’s mother was in her 30s, she began going blind. Last summer, Ms. Siddiqui told a podcast host that...
By Lisa Eadicicco, CNN [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 03.30.2025
23andMe, a standard-bearer for the at-home health movement, announced on March 23 that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to facilitate a sale, prompting many of its 15 million customers to wonder: What happens to my genetic data now...
