DNA Testing

In Britain at the moment the subject of DNA has received a lot of media attention. DNA is regarded as irrefutable evidence that a person was at the scene of a crime. With rape and other violent crimes on the increase Government and media debates have centered around the idea of DNA testing at birth.

Human rights groups, obviously, are up in arms. What will the authorities think of next. In a television poll this morning many people in England thought that DNA testing at birth was a good idea. Even though the majority of the British public may appear to be in agreement with this idea, have they really thought it through? What would happen, for example, if someone was trying to evade detection and placed somebody else's DNA at the scene? That would be regarded as irrefutable proof that you were there. Even eye witnesses who testified to the fact that you were somewhere else would have less credibility than the fact that your DNA was at the scene.

What do you think? Should the state have the powers to take DNA samples at birth? Or is this a fundamental abuse of our human rights?