" title="Reclaim Your DNA"> Reclaim Your DNA

DNA and fingerprints are now taken routinely from children who are arrested for any recordable offence. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland children are treated the same as adults from the age of ten.

Recordable offences include minor criminal damage caused by children kicking footballs or throwing snowballs; and minor assault offences, such as pulling another child’s hair. A false accusation, often by another child, is sufficient to be arrested.

About a million people with records on the DNA database had their DNA taken when they were under-18. The number of children and young people with DNA records is smaller than this because many of these people are now adults: at the end of May 2009, 320,841 under-18 year-olds had their DNA, fingerprints and police records retained indefinitely (until age 100) in England and Wales (see table).

In the last few years, arrests of children have risen rapidly, contributing significantly to the expansion of the DNA database. Most of these arrests result in no further action, or a reprimand or final warning from the police.

Tens of thousands of innocent children have records on the DNA database. In September 2008, the Home Office estimated that 39,095 under-18s on the Database had not been convicted, cautioned, received a final warning or reprimand and had no charge pending against them. GeneWatch UK and Action on Rights for Children (ARCH) estimate that the number of innocent children on the Database is nearer 100,000. The difference arises due to a disagreement about the number of duplicated records and the fact that many children with charges pending will not be convicted.

The European Court of Human Rights stated that the retention of innocent people’s records “may be particularly harmful” in the case of children.

Some children do commit serious offences, but the difference between the number of children who have their DNA records retained in Scotland and in England and Wales is striking (see table). Scotland’s population is about a tenth of England and Wales’. This means that a 14 year-old is roughly 200 times more likely to have their DNA retained in England and Wales.

Table: DNA profiles retained from children and young people* (Source:Scottish Parliament May 2009)

*The number of DNA profiles collected in Scotland is larger than in the table, but most are not retained