Dados Bibliográficos

AUTOR(ES) Rafaela Granja , Helena Machado
AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) Communication and Society Research Centre (CECS), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
ANO 2019
TIPO Artigo
PERIÓDICO Science Technology and Human Values
ISSN 0162-2439
E-ISSN 1552-8251
EDITORA Annual Reviews (United States)
DOI 10.1177/0162243919828219
ADICIONADO EM 2025-08-18
MD5 75e13f1ec52a3200dd23dd0cd0f029ca

Resumo

Familial searching is a technology that detects genetic relatedness. The term is generally used to refer to searches conducted in criminal DNA databases to identify criminal suspects through their connection with relatives. Beyond criminal investigation purposes, familial searching might also be used for the identification of unknown bodies and missing persons. The United Kingdom and Poland are cases that illustrate the variability of familial searching meanings, uses, and regulations. In the United Kingdom, familial searching is regulated by exceptionality and is mainly used for the identification of suspects in serious criminal cases. In Poland, familial searching is regulated within the framework of expanding the scope of its application to the search and/or identification of missing persons. Drawing on interviews with diverse key stakeholders in the United Kingdom and Poland, we address the ethical controversies of familial searching in the field of criminal investigation and in the domain of missing persons together. We argue that the views of stakeholders about the ethical controversies of familial searching lead to prescribing specific notions of social risks, public good, and the accountability of the state.

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