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The prosecutor's fallacy stems, in general, from a misunderstanding of how statistics work. In the case of DNA, however, it may be exacerbated by an almost mystical belief in the molecules' power. Paul Debenham, LGC's director of innovation and development, suggests that there is a pervasive and "unjustified faith that human genome sequencing is going to cure the world".
The public's irrationally positive view of medical genetics goes hand in hand with an irrationally fearful view of the implications of the national DNA database. Even if, as Debenham puts it, "everyone likes it for catching criminals", no one likes the idea of their own DNA being on it. And, he says, "Even if they had all of your DNA today, and for the long foreseeable future, we won't have a clue what that tells us about you, and actually you should be more worried if someone gets hold of your supermarket purchasing history."
The current ethical problems with the database aren't in fact to do with what the government, the police or anyone else may or may not be able to learn about you from your DNA, but with the question of whose profiles are stored on it. According to a report published in November by the Human Genetics Commission, Nothing To Hide, Nothing To Fear?, the database now holds the profiles of approximately 5 million citizens, or 8% of the population of Britain. Among black men between the ages of 18 and 35, however, that figure rises to more than 75%. You don't have to have been convicted or even charged with a crime to have your DNA taken, remember: you just have to have been arrested. The report also quotes anecdotal evidence from a retired senior police officer to the effect that the police now arrest people simply to get their DNA profile.