A proposal by the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg to expand DNA analysis to include an individual’s biogeographic origin has drawn criticism from the Green Party in the German Bundestag.
The Greens’ parliamentary group chair, Lena Gumnior, has expressed concerns that the move is a thinly veiled attempt to justify massive infringements on fundamental rights under the guise of crime fighting. According to Gumnior, the method is a form of racism, ineffective and of no use in criminology.
The proposed expansion of DNA analysis would not only identify physical characteristics such as eye or hair color, but also the individual’s region of origin. This technique is already in use in Austria and the Netherlands, although it is currently banned in Germany.
Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg plan to submit a proposal to the upcoming Justice Ministers’ Conference in Bad Schandau, requesting that the new Federal Minister of Justice, Stefanie Hubig, consider a corresponding regulatory proposal in consultation with the Federal Minister of the Interior.
Gumnior, a left-wing member of the Greens, has argued that the analysis of biogeographic origin is not only plagued by an enormous error rate but is also entirely unsuitable for solving crimes. She likened the method to searching for names, saying it would allow for a “witch-hunt against minorities” and would encroach upon the unassailable core of an individual’s personality, perpetuating racist stereotypes.
The fact that the method is used in other countries, Gumnior noted, does not change the fact that it has not led to any successful investigations and is not related to evidence-based crime policy.