Miliband and Cameron clash over rape case DNA legislation

Prime minister insists coalition inherited DNA database ‘that had grown out of control and was without proper rights for people’ Downing Street insisted David Cameron was not going to conduct a U-turn on the retention of DNA in rape cases being required after being put under pressure on the issue by the Labour leader, Ed Miliband. The Protection of Freedoms bill requires the removal of DNA profiles from police databases after five years in all cases in which no charges are brought, but rape victims’ groups have called for DNA to be retained in exceptional cases. Speaking at prime minister’s questions, Miliband urged Cameron to make an exception of rape victims. The Labour leader asked: “Around 5,000 people each year are arrested on suspicion of rape and not charged … in certain cases these individuals have gone on to commit further offences and be convicted as a result of the DNA being held on the national database, but his proposal is that for those arrested and not charged the DNA would be disposed of straight away. “I ask him again, why is it right to discard the DNA of those arrested but not charged with rape?” It emerged that the prime minister did not know details of the proposal, which is due to return to the Commons at the bill’s report stage shortly. During rowdy exchanges in which he had to seek advice from the home secretary, Theresa May, Cameron appeared to hint that he would look at the issue again. The prime minister said the government would “look carefully” at the plans and that there was “always room to see where it can be improved”, but insisted the coalition had inherited “an unacceptable situation with a DNA database that had grown out of control and without proper rights for people”. He later said he believed the police could ask for the retention of DNA in exceptional cases, but Labour claimed the category did not apply in rape cases. DNA database PMQs Ed Miliband David Cameron Labour Conservatives House of Commons Liberal-Conservative coalition Rape Patrick Wintour guardian.co.uk

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