The San Francisco Police Department is under fire after it allegedly used DNA evidence collected from a rape victim’s past exam to link her to a crime:
BREAKING:
San Francisco police linked a woman to a crime using DNA collected from her past rape exam, according to DA Chesa Boudin https://t.co/EQsqwyWoIq
— Demian Bulwa (@demianbulwa) February 14, 2022
San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin said in a news conference that the SFPD “crime lab has been entering sexual assault victims’ DNA profiles in a database used to identify suspects in crimes”:
"The San Francisco police crime lab has been entering sexual assault victims’ DNA profiles in a database used to identify suspects in crimes, District Attorney Chesa Boudin said Monday" https://t.co/8xI5k1bXvZ @MeganCassidy
— Josh Eidelson (@josheidelson) February 14, 2022
And he said it’s been going on for “many, many years”:
https://twitter.com/MoiraDonegan/status/1493395684531257351
Um, maybe someone can ask the former San Francisco DA if this practice was going on under *her* watch?
https://twitter.com/GPollowitz/status/1493575647070986243
The SFPD is investigating:
San Francisco’s police chief says he's investigating claims that DNA collected from rape victims is being used to help identify them as possible crime suspects. District Attorney Chesa Boudin says a woman was arrested recently based on her rape kit DNA. https://t.co/STmY9skII8
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 15, 2022
And the chief said he’s “committed to ending the practice” if true:
Chief Scott: "If it’s true that DNA collected from a rape or sexual assault victim has been used by SFPD to identify and apprehend that person as a suspect in another crime, I’m committed to ending the practice.”
Story by @meganrcassidy https://t.co/YeqBr6HzvN
— Demian Bulwa (@demianbulwa) February 14, 2022
California legislators are considering a new law to end the practice “if true”:
Sen. Scott Wiener reacts: “If SFPD actually used rape kit DNA as part of an unrelated criminal investigation against the survivor, that is extremely troubling…I’ll seriously consider introducing state legislation to ban the practice.” https://t.co/YeqBr6pqhF
— Demian Bulwa (@demianbulwa) February 14, 2022
But what’s not being said is how many convictions this practice may have led to througout the years:
I'm calling for an end to the practice of retaining and using sexual assault survivors' DNA in a database used to identify crime suspects.
I'm working w/ @Scott_Wiener & @HillaryRonen on legislation to stop this egregious violation of victim privacy.https://t.co/JzUnl2fTxs
— Chesa Boudin 博徹思 (@chesaboudin) February 15, 2022
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