Black church leaders speak out over criminal DNA database

Black church leaders have joined health experts in welcoming the findings of a new opinion poll that shows strong opposition to adding the DNA of innocent mental health patients to the National Criminal DNA database.

New research by the human rights campaigns group Black Mental Health UK (BMH UK) has shown public opinion to be against the practice, which health experts have warned is criminalising one of society's most vulnerable groups.

The survey's findings, published this week, are based on responses of 742 people to an online survey to guage people's views on adding the genetic profiles of mental health patients who come into contact with the police but have not committed a crime.

An overwhelming 88.41 per cent of those surveyed said they were against taking the DNA of mental health patients who come in contact with the police or criminal justice system while trying to access care.

Of those surveyed, 10.7 per cent said they did not know if DNA should be retained or not. Just 0.81 per cent said they agreed.

BMH UK said the findings showed the practice to be highly unpopular.

"If there is a real commitment to address the stigma and barriers to recovery for people who use the services, then the Government should not allow this practice to continue," said Matilda MacAttram, director of Black Mental Health UK.

"It is clear from the findings of our research that people are opposed to seeing those who need help, being added to a database introduced to keep the profiles of convicted criminals.

"This is taking up alot of public money that would be better spent on strategies that help people recover and reintegrate back into society, not resources systems that put up barriers and label them criminals for life."

Pastor Desmond Hall, Chair of Christians Together in Brent, said that taking DNA from black mental health patients had eroded the trust of the black community in the Government.

"It is a dereliction of duty for the Government to allow vulnerable people to be treated in this way. This is something that will change the vote as almost every black family in the country is effected by this. The way we have been treated means that the Government can no longer rely on the block black vote," he said.

The Rev Paul Grey, pastor of Nuneaton branch of the New Testament Church of God said, "Part of justice is that you are considered innocent until proven guilty. This practice blurs that boundary and begs the questions, why are people on the database if they haven't committed any crime.

"People needing mental health care are vulnerable and when people are vulnerable it is important to protect them. Part of the freedoms and civil liberties we have in this country is that we are able to keep what belong to us, and there is nothing more personal than our DNA."

He added, "With the number of Government data losses we have seen, there is no confidence in the security of this data or how it will be used."

Pastor Ade Omooba, head of Cohesive and Coherent Voice, said that the Government was "out of step" with the wishes of the black community and that there needed to be proper consultation on the issue.

"It is these kinds of practices that are damaging any work that leaders are trying to do around community cohesion. It mean that loyalty that was once so strong amongst black groups for this Government is literally being shattered," he said.