Chilean Chamber of Deputies approves bill to accelerate DNA profiling in criminal cases

The Chilean Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill to modify the Criminal Procedure Code and Law 19.970, aiming to accelerate the use of genetic profiles in criminal investigations. The bill passed with 122 votes in favor and 9 abstentions, moving the initiative to the Senate.

Currently, while the laboratories of Carabineros and the Investigative Police (PDI) can determine a genetic profile in approximately 10 days, the process faces a bottleneck when these profiles must be sent to the Medical Legal Service (SML) for comparison against the National DNA Registry. This comparison process can take between 8 and 10 months.

The proposed law would allow the laboratories of Carabineros and the PDI to perform certain comparison procedures and send results directly to the Public Ministry or courts. The project also includes provisions for international cooperation and regulates the use of genetic fingerprints in investigations involving adolescents.