Public Prosecution Service deploys genealogical DNA in serious criminal cases
A Dutch pilot produced new leads in two of six cold cases.
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The Public Prosecution Service, police and Netherlands Forensic Institute have developed a new method for using genealogical DNA databases in serious criminal cases. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the three-year pilot produced useful leads in two of the six cases examined.
The method compares DNA from a crime scene with profiles in genealogical databases belonging to people who have given permission for their use. Investigators look not only for a direct match, but also for distant relatives of a possible suspect or an unidentified victim.
Genealogical research can then be used to map a possible family line. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the method is intended for cases in which traditional investigative options have yielded little result. The Public Prosecution Service says the approach is new in the Netherlands.
The pilot began in 2023 with two cold cases in Limburg. A case from Zeeland-West-Brabant and three Amsterdam investigations into unidentified people who are believed to have died as a result of a crime were added later. In the Heuvel murder case, two possible relatives of the suspected perpetrator were found; they live in the United States.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, a request for legal assistance to the US authorities is under way concerning that lead. A lead pointing towards a possible perpetrator was also found in the Zeeland-West-Brabant case, according to the Public Prosecution Service. The justice authorities are providing no details about that case because the investigation is ongoing.
The comparison produced no new information in the three Amsterdam cases involving unidentified people. The pilot was therefore not successful in every case. Moreover, the number of useful leads is not proof that a suspect is the perpetrator; further investigation and ultimately judicial assessment remain necessary.
The Public Prosecution Service says the method falls within the current legal framework. According to the Public Prosecution Service, investigating judges authorised its use in individual cases during the pilot. The Public Prosecution Service says it will continue to seek permission for each case and is working on an internal framework for its use.
The technique also raises privacy questions, because database participants may bring family members into view who have not themselves provided DNA. The Public Prosecution Service says privacy protection carries great weight and wants to use the method exclusively in murder cases and other very serious criminal cases, such as investigations into a serial rapist.
For bereaved relatives, genealogical research may offer new possibilities in stalled cases. At the same time, its use remains dependent on the quality of the DNA evidence, the size of databases, consent and additional investigative work. The pilot therefore demonstrates a new tool, not a general solution for cold cases.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The pilot used genealogical DNA databases in six serious criminal cases.
- New leads emerged in two cases.
- The method also searches for distant relatives of a possible suspect.
- The Public Prosecution Service wants to use the method only in serious cases and seek permission from an investigating judge for each case.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that investigative services may use new techniques only under strict legal and independent oversight, because genetic information also affects family members who have not given permission.
Values Privacy, proportionality and protection against an ever-expanding surveillance state.
Consequences Fears that use in more cases will lead to the normalisation of genetic surveillance and put pressure on commercial databases.
Centre
Arguments Sees genealogical DNA as a potentially useful exceptional tool for very serious cold cases, but wants clear criteria, judicial authorisation, transparency and evaluation in each case.
Values The rule of law, proportionality and practical assistance for victims and bereaved relatives.
Consequences Emphasises that effectiveness must be weighed against privacy risks and that leads will always require additional evidence.
Right
Arguments Stresses the government's duty to solve serious crimes and give bereaved relatives answers, even when this requires new technology.
Values Safety, responsibility and protection of victims.
Consequences Fears that overly stringent restrictions will unnecessarily put a useful investigative tool out of reach and protect cold-case perpetrators.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The method, pilot and results are based on the Public Prosecution Service and independent journalistic research. The text stresses that leads do not constitute proof or a conviction.
- confirmed The pilot produced useful leads in two of six cases. — Confirmed by the Public Prosecution Service. source
- confirmed The Heuvel murder case produced two possible relatives of a suspected perpetrator. — Confirmed by the Public Prosecution Service and Pointer. source
- confirmed No new information emerged in three Amsterdam cases. — Included in the Public Prosecution Service's report. source
- confirmed The method can raise privacy questions because family members may come into view without having provided DNA themselves. — This follows directly from how kinship research works and is described as a point of concern in independent reporting. source
Editor's note
The Public Prosecution Service confirms the pilot and the two leads; Pointer provides independent context. No perpetrator has been established and there has been no proven breakthrough in court.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „dna coldcases”
- AD — „dna coldcases”
- de Volkskrant — „dna coldcases”