WINNIPEG — It was an unprecedented step taken by Manitoba RCMP in the hopes of catching a killer. A move police say could be used again in the future.
READ MORE: 15-year-old charged with first-degree murder in killing of Teresa Robinson
In February, RCMP began asking all males between the ages of 15 and 66 in Garden Hill First Nation to submit to a voluntary DNA test. While officers would not comment on how many men complied, they confirmed it had the potential to bring in around 2,000 samples from the isolated community.
On March 17, RCMP arrested a 15-year-old male from the First Nation community in Garden Hill. It wasn’t until nearly 24 hours later that he was charged with first-degree murder.
WATCH: RCMP say only one person responsible in death of Teresa Robinson
Police could not comment on whether or not the youth was one of the people who had submitted to the voluntary test.
While there were no major concerns about the collection from legal experts, some did voice concerns about it being a worrisome precedent.
“First of all there is a certain amount of psychological intimidation when police ask for your DNA sample,” said lawyer Jay Prober. “There are many people who may have nothing to hide but they feel it is an infringement of their bodily rights or of their civil rights.”
Prober also noted there could be a stigma attached to people who, for whatever reason, choose not to submit their DNA. But, he does not believe this could lead to a slippery slope as long as the requests remain voluntary.
READ MORE: RCMP taking DNA samples in connection to Teresa Robinson’s homicide
However, a University of Manitoba ethics professor said beyond it being voluntary there are certain requirements before it can be justified.
“The crime has to be very serious,” said Arthur Schafer, director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics. “There has to be a DNA sample at the crime scene which you’re trying to match and where you think it’s very likely to help and it has to be plausible that the people with who you are taking the DNA sample may have committed the crime.”
This particular request had support not only from the band chief and council but from First Nations leaders. However, MKO Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson said that will only be done on a case by case basis.
“I wouldn’t want to open up the floodgates for RCMP or anyone to take whatever they want from our communities,” said Wilson.
RCMP confirmed the samples in the Robinson case will be destroyed once they are no longer needed and said they will not be used in any other cases.
Police are not ruling out using the same mass DNA collection technique in the future.