Garda hunt for sex assailant ‘hampered by DNA laws’

THE hunt for the man who sexually assaulted a four-year-old boy is hampered by laws preventing gardaí from taking DNA samples from suspects against their wishes, the country’s top forensic officer warned.

Dr Jim Donovan of the State Forensic Laboratory said gardaí should be able to compel suspects to give DNA samples.

He also called for the establishment of a database of sex offenders' DNA.