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South African Police Service Act, 1995 (Act No. 68 of 1995)

Chapter 5B : Establishment, Administration and Maintenance of National Forensic DNA Database of South Africa

15M. Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains Index

 

(1) The Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains Index must contain forensic DNA profiles, derived by means of forensic DNA analysis, from—
(a) any bodily sample of a missing or unidentified person; or
(b) any bodily sample or crime scene sample taken from unidentified human remains.

 

(2) Familial searches may be conducted in respect of forensic DNA profiles referred to in subsection (1).

 

(3) Forensic DNA profiles referred to in subsection (1) must be stored until the purpose for which they have been stored have [sic] been achieved, and must then be removed.

 

(4) A request to conduct a familial search must be submitted to the authorised officer and a copy thereof provided to the Board.

 

(5) The Board must be notified of any request for the use of familial searches and the outcome thereof.

 

(6) The Minister must ensure that a policy relating to familial searches is developed.

 

(7)

(a) For the purposes of this section, 'familial searches' means a technique whereby a forensic DNA profile derived from a sample—
(i) of a missing person; or
(ii) obtained from a family member of a missing person,

is deliberately searched against the Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains Index and the Crime Scene Index of the NFDD to obtain a list of forensic DNA profiles that are almost similar to the forensic DNA profile derived from a sample referred to in subparagraph (i) or (ii).

(b) The Service may use the results of the familial searches referred to in paragraph (a) as an investigative lead, by a specially trained police official, to—
(i) interview family members of the near matches; or
(ii) identify unidentified human remains.
(c) The results of familial searches must be dealt with in a sensitive manner.

 

[Section 15M inserted by section 6 of Act No. 37 of 2013]