Danish Parliament is considering a bill to allow police to use genetic genealogy in investigations of serious crimes, such as murder, aggravated violence, and rape. This tool, which allows investigators to trace DNA to distant relatives, could lead to more solved cases, according to experts.

Associate Professor Mikkel Meyer Andersen from Aalborg University believes that the use of genetic genealogy will statistically lead to more solved criminal cases. The current method, family searching, only identifies close relatives, while genetic genealogy can reach individuals sharing great-great-grandparents.

Forensic geneticist Marie-Louise Kampmann from the University of Copenhagen supports the use of genetic genealogy, stating it can be a valuable asset for the Danish police, despite the relatively low number of unsolved murder cases in Denmark.

The use of family searching has recently proven effective in identifying a 57-year-old man charged with a 1999 rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl. This case highlights the potential of DNA analysis in solving cold cases.

The proposed bill allows police to search private databases like GEDmatch Pro and FamilyTreeDNA, where users consent to their DNA being used in police investigations. However, this raises ethical concerns as consent extends to family members sharing DNA, as noted by both Andersen and Kampmann.

The bill acknowledges the privacy intrusion but argues that its use is justified only in serious cases.