Changes to the Criminal Law Amendment Act, gazetted and signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on January 13, will see mandatory DNA samples taken from people convicted of crimes under schedule 8 offences. Stock photo.Mandatory DNA samples will now be taken from offenders guilty of serious crimes, a move hailed as a “big step” towards solving and preventing crime, especially sexual offences.
“Offenders don’t only commit one type of crime. For example, a house breaker might also be a rapist,” forensic psychologist Prof Gerard Labuschagne said. “So if he is arrested on a HB [housebreaking] case and his DNA is taken, it could lead to a link with a rape cases.” “DNA remains the most effective crime-fighting tool and the sampling of schedule 8 arrestees will make a huge impact in solving, identifying repeat offenders and assisting in successful prosecutions of rapists and murderers,” spokesperson Elanie van der Walt said.
“Though DNA sampling of schedule 8 arrestees is now compulsory, it is important that this legislation be acted on immediately and not just seen as another piece of paper,” she said.
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