The Senate passed into law the expansion of the National Registry of Genetic Data for criminal investigation.

The expansion of the National Registry of Genetic Data enables Justice to take genetic samples from persons accused, prosecuted or convicted of any crime, something that until now could only be done with persons with a final conviction for sexual assault.

This law, which is already being applied in the provinces of Mendoza, Salta and La Pampa, was demanded by organizations of crime victims’ relatives, such as the Mothers of Pain, as a tool that could help solve many of the cases that still remain unpunished.

The regulation was promoted by the Ministry of Security, headed by Patricia Bullrich, who had proposed that this tool be transferred from the Ministry of Justice to her portfolio. This point is still under discussion but does not prevent progress in the effective implementation of the project and in the legislative development in the provinces that do not yet have the registry.

Among the main objectives of the Registry it is mentioned that it will be: «To contribute to the clarification of the facts that are the object of a judicial investigation, particularly in relation to the individualization of the alleged perpetrators, as well as the disassociation of persons not involved in the crime, through the comparison of genetic profiles from duly accredited laboratories».