libeneke la DNA bongo

DNA proof: 60pc of male

parents not biological fathers

By Austin Beyadi

The Government Chemist Laboratory Agency has said that among the 250 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples it received for disputed parentage cases in the year 2005/2006, at least 60 per cent of the cases proved that the male parents were not the biological fathers of the children.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam on Friday, the Chief Government Chemist, Ernest Mashimba, said that the agency receives samples from the department of Social Welfare and registered lawyers and not from individuals.

He said that in 2005/6 it received 250 cases for DNA testing on parentage dispute whereby 150 fathers were proved to be only custodians and not biological fathers.

Only 100 fathers were proved to have biological linkage with the children.

Mashimba said in 2006/07 the agency received another 209 samples for DNA testing on disputed parentage cases. The result were that 53 per cent were biological fathers against 47 per cent, who were not.

``We also use DNA samples in criminal investigations, identification of victims of mass disasters, verifying the identity of human disorders, determining whether a biological material is of human origin, etc ,`` he said.

He said in criminal cases the agency received 28 samples in 2006/7 and that among them 21 percent of the samples involved the suspects with the incidents while 79 percent were not involved with the case.

He further said that during the same period, the agency also received 31 samples of rape cases and that after conducting the DNA test it was discovered that only 3 per cent of the samples were involved with the cases while 97 per cent were not involved with the criminal offences.

He said that every person is genetically unique and genetic compositions do not change through life.

Expounding, he said an individual inherits genetic compositions from both parents.

Mashimba said that in rape cases, semen samples can be used to link the suspect to the samples provided.

He said that in essence, DNA evidence is in principal becoming an irrefutable identification proof and it is useful for excluding the innocent from the case in question.

SOURCE: Guardian