The light's at the end of the funnel!

M. D. Taverne, Antonius Petrus Arnoldus Broeders

While few would still hold forensic DNA analysis for the cure-all for unsolved crimes that many once believed it to be, DNA evidence now clearly ranks as one of the most powerful types of forensic evidence available. In addition to its unrivalled potential to eliminate the innocent and include the potentially guilty, it has proved its capacity to produce a decisive breakthrough in hitherto unsolved crimes. Furthermore, it has been instrumental in resolving miscarriages of justice, thereby revealing the limitations of many traditional types of evidence, including (eye)witness evidence. 00Little is known about the actual effectiveness of the transnational DNA profile exchange in bringing cases to court. Here, the follow-up of a match is the key issue. No follow-up means no added value for the resolution of crimes. Therefore, a true measure of the effectiveness of the exchange process is...