[Assessment of the injunction regarding genetic fingerprinting of sex offense perpetrators].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the problems eventually created by fingerprinting for genetic identification of suspected sexual aggressors.


METHODS
An opinion poll was conducted among 13 practitioners (8 forensic experts and 5 biologists) using a list of 20 questions.


RESULTS
Ten practitioners agreed that there were ethical problems in fingerprinting, and 6 of the 13 physicians surveyed claimed that fingerprinting was distressful for the suspect.


CONCLUSIONS
The ethical problems most frequently encountered were the presence of a third party during fingerprinting, the practitioners' lack of information at to the test's future use, the suspect's refusal to undergo such a test and the suspect's lack of information on the subsequent computerized treatment of the fingerprint, to enhance a national genetic data base for example, and the length of time during which the fingerprint is stored.
Bécour
Bertrand
B
Unité médico-judiciaire, Hôtel-Dieu, 1 place du Parvis Notre-Dame, 75181 Paris.
Meningaud
Jean-Paul
JP
Moutel
Grégoire
G
Diamant-Berger
Odile
O
Hervé
Christian
C
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*