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== Overview ==
 
== Overview ==
The DNA database for Luxembourg was inaugurated by legislation enacted in August of 2006. The database contains DNA profiles of persons convicted of certain specific offences, persons suspected of any recordable offence and crime scene. The DNA profiles of a crime suspects can be entered into the database when they are suspected of any recordable offence.  The DNA profiles of convicted offenders can be entered into the database when they are sentenced to imprisonment for one of the crimes listed in the law. DNA profiles which are derived from unidentified crime scene stains can be entered into the database by order of the prosecutor.  Convicted persons’ profiles are kept for ten years after their death, suspects’ profiles are deleted upon their acquittal or ten years after their death, and crime scene stains are retained for thirty years after their entry. A 2008 Interpol survey reports that 30 crime scene DNA profiles and 55 individuals' profiles were held in Luxembourg at the time of the survey.
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The DNA database for Luxembourg was inaugurated by legislation enacted in August of 2006. The database contains DNA profiles of persons convicted of certain specific offences, persons suspected of any recordable offence and crime scene. The DNA profiles of a crime suspects can be entered into the database when they are suspected of any recordable offence.  The DNA profiles of convicted offenders can be entered into the database when they are sentenced to imprisonment for one of the crimes listed in the law. DNA profiles which are derived from unidentified crime scene stains can be entered into the database by order of the prosecutor.  Convicted persons’ profiles are kept for ten years after their death, suspects’ profiles are deleted upon their acquittal or ten years after their death, and crime scene stains are retained for thirty years after their entry. A 2008 Interpol survey reports that 30 crime scene DNA profiles and 55 individuals' profiles were held in Luxembourg at the time of the survey. According to Interpol, Luxembourg's DNA database grew to 634 crime scene DNA profiles, plus 851 reference DNA profiles from individuals in 2011.
  
 
== Resources ==
 
== Resources ==

Latest revision as of 16:07, 27 January 2016

Overview

The DNA database for Luxembourg was inaugurated by legislation enacted in August of 2006. The database contains DNA profiles of persons convicted of certain specific offences, persons suspected of any recordable offence and crime scene. The DNA profiles of a crime suspects can be entered into the database when they are suspected of any recordable offence. The DNA profiles of convicted offenders can be entered into the database when they are sentenced to imprisonment for one of the crimes listed in the law. DNA profiles which are derived from unidentified crime scene stains can be entered into the database by order of the prosecutor. Convicted persons’ profiles are kept for ten years after their death, suspects’ profiles are deleted upon their acquittal or ten years after their death, and crime scene stains are retained for thirty years after their entry. A 2008 Interpol survey reports that 30 crime scene DNA profiles and 55 individuals' profiles were held in Luxembourg at the time of the survey. According to Interpol, Luxembourg's DNA database grew to 634 crime scene DNA profiles, plus 851 reference DNA profiles from individuals in 2011.

Resources

Detailed Analysis

I. Law on Point

Law No. 163 of August 25, 2006 on the Procedures for Identification by DNA Fingerprints in Criminal Cases<ref name="ftn1"> Law No. 163 of August 25, 2006, Recueil de Legislation, September 8, 2006, p. 2984 (lux.)


</ref>,<ref name="ftn2"> E.U. 9445/1/06 at 7.


</ref>

II. Entry Criteria

Persons convicted of an offence that is listed in law (order of solicitor or examining magistrate is required), persons suspected of any recordable offence (order of solicitor or examining magistrate is required) and crime scene stains only by order of the solicitor, the examining magistrate or a judicial police officer acting by order of one these magistrates<ref name="ftn3"> See EU Current Practices at 66.


</ref>

The DNA profiles of a crime suspects can be entered into the database when they are suspected of any recordable offence. However, an order of the prosecutor or the examining magistrate is required.<ref name="ftn4"> Law of 25 August 2006 regarding the identification procedure by DNA analysis in penal matters, art. 6.


</ref> The DNA profiles of convicted offenders can be entered into the database when they are sentenced to imprisonment for one of the crimes listed in the law.<ref name="ftn5"> Id. at Art. 8.


</ref> The list includes offences like terrorism, murder, the taking of hostages, torture and some forms of theft.<ref name="ftn6"> Code of criminal procedure, art. 48-7.


</ref> This can also only be done by order of the solicitor or the examining magistrate. DNA profiles which are derived from unidentified crime scene stains can be entered into the database by order of the prosecutor, the examining magistrate or a judicial police officer acting by order of one these magistrates.<ref name="ftn7"> Law of 25 August 2006 regarding the identification procedure by DNA analysis in penal matters, art. 6.


</ref>

III. Sample Collection

Only the solicitor and the examining magistrate have the authority to order the taking of a DNA sample from a person in order to create a DNA profile.<ref name="ftn8"> Code of criminal procedure, art. 48-3.


</ref> With regard to unidentified DNA stains that are discovered at a crime scene, this may only be done in the course of a criminal investigation.<ref name="ftn9"> Id. at Art. 48-3.


</ref> The taking of a DNA sample from a person is performed by means of a buccal swab, the collection of hair shafts or by blood sampling.<ref name="ftn10"> Id. at Art. 48-4.


</ref> When the person concerned consents to the collection of a sample, he may choose by which method the sample is collected.<ref name="ftn11"> Id. at Art. 48-5


</ref> If he refuses to cede a sample, coercive sampling is allowed when there are sufficient indications that he is directly involved in a criminal offence that is punishable by a jail sentence of two years or more.<ref name="ftn12"> Id.


</ref> In that case, sampling is performed by either the taking of hair shafts or a buccal swab. If the person concerned has not yet reached the age of fourteen years, written consent of his legal guardian is required in order to collect a sample. Consent of the legal guardian is also required for the taking of a DNA sample from mentally-ill persons.

IV. Removal Criteria

Convicted persons’ profiles are kept for ten years after their death, suspects’ profiles are deleted upon their acquittal or ten years after their death, and crime scene stains are retained for thirty years after their entry<ref name="ftn13"> See EU Current Practices at 66-67.


</ref>

The DNA profiles of crime suspects have to be removed from the database when the person concerned is acquitted or when the prescription term is reached.<ref name="ftn14"> Id. at Art. 7.


</ref> When the person concerned passes away, his DNA profile must be removed ten years following this occurrence. The DNA profiles of convicted offenders have to be removed from the database ten years after the passing away of the person concerned.<ref name="ftn15"> Id. at Art. 10.


</ref> The DNA profiles that are derived from unidentified crime scene stains have to be removed from the database thirty years after their entry.

V. Sample Retention

Convicted persons’ samples are destroyed ten years after their death; suspects’ samples are destroyed upon acquittal, ten years after their death, or upon the expiration of the a term prescribed by law<ref name="ftn16"> See EU Current Practices at 67.


</ref>

All regulations regarding the entry and removal of DNA profiles are also valid for the DNA samples from which they were derived.<ref name="ftn17"> See EU Current Practices at 66-67.


</ref>

VI. Database Access

Only members of the DNA unit have access to the database. Magistrates have to submit a request for information to this unit. DNA unit members have access to all the information contained in the database. Every action in the database is logged.<ref name="ftn18"> See EU Current Practices at 66-67.


</ref> DNA profile information is exchanged via Interpol, Europol and rogatory letters. Luxemburg has signed and ratified the Convention of Prüm which makes it possible to automatically access the forensic DNA databases of the other contracting parties.

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References

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