Murder, aggravated rape, and aggravated rape of a child are the three crimes for which the police can start using genealogy research to solve from July 1. The police regions have gone through which cases could be relevant, and to begin with, around five cases will be processed.
We do not know how many it may concern yet, as the inventory is in progress, says Niclas Andersson at the police's National Operational Department.
More advanced analysis
The police do not want to say which initial cases will be, so as not to warn a potential murderer or rapist.
So that no one erases tracks or disappears or otherwise makes it difficult for us, he says.
It requires a more advanced DNA analysis than the one the police do in regular cases, and the track must contain "DNA of sufficient quantity and quality", according to Erik Borendal, head of the laboratory unit at the National Forensic Centre (NFC).
This is about mapping a significantly larger part of the DNA-genome than we do in normal cases at NFC.
Several can be topped
When the analysis is done, it is uploaded against the genealogy databases that collaborate with the police. If one or more relatives of the perpetrator are there, a result in the form of a hit list will be received.
What the genealogist does then is to try to chart the ancestors of the hits, i.e. forefathers, and often go back to the 1700s and 1800s. And then you have to genealogically track down the descendants. And it is among the descendants that the perpetrator is, says Borendal.
The one who has sent a DNA sample for genealogy research may never find out that a distant relative is suspected in a crime case. Genealogy research can also lead to the police believing that several people in a family or family need to be tested, according to Andersson.
It could in practice become so that you need it to ensure and rule out. For the method can also be used to rule out a number of people who are suspected in the case.
A case that can become relevant for genealogy research goes through four steps, when a suitable case has been selected.
1. DNA analysis: An extended analysis of the biological track is performed, and the answer is formatted to be comparable with genealogy databases.
2. Comparison with genealogy databases: The data is transferred, and the Integrity Protection Authority is informed. The handling takes place separately, so that no one else can search against the current DNA track.
3. Hit list and selection. The police receive an answer in the form of a hit list, and based on that, fairly traditional genealogy research is conducted to see who the perpetrator can be.
4. Hit against person. If a person can be reasonably suspected, they can be forced to give a DNA sample, which can then be tested against the DNA track. DNA sampling can also be done voluntarily and give a hit.
Source: The Police.
