Ethical-legal problems of DNA databases in criminal investigation

Advances in DNA technology and the discovery of DNA polymorphisms have perm itted the creation of DNA databases of individuals for the purpose of crimi nal investigation. Many ethical and legal problems arise in the preparation of a DNA database, and these problems are especially important when one analyses the legal re gulations on the subject. In this paper three main groups of possibilities, three systems, are analys ed in relation to databases. The first system is based on a general analysi s of the population; the second one is based on the raking of samples for a particular list of crimes, and a third is based only on the specific analy sis of each case. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are compa red and controversial issues are then examined. We found the second system to be the best choice for Spain and other European countries with a similar tradition when we weighed the rights of an individual against the public's interest in the prosecution of a crime.