Ecuador held an International Symposium on Forensic DNA in the Service of Justice

On November 17, 2022, the First International Symposium on Forensic DNA in the Service of Justice in this Latin American country was held in the city of Quito, Ecuador. The event was led by the Legal Medicine Service and the project Justicia Forense – DNA Latin America. It was attended by delegates from the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the Judiciary, the Police, judicial experts, medical examiners, anthropological lawyers and law students.

The objective of this event was to open a public debate on the use of criminal DNA databases and the advantages of using the genetic fingerprinting of victims and perpetrators to increase criminal prosecution and reduce impunity.

The event featured presentations by national and international legal experts who gave the audience legal and public policy recommendations related to the establishment and operation of DNA databases as a powerful tool for justice and the search for truth.

The Symposium also served as a space to formalize, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding, the international cooperation and technical assistance provided by Gordon Thomas Honeywell through its “Justicia Forense – DNA Latin America” project, to advise and support government officials, forensic laboratories and justice entities responsible for the establishment and operation of forensic DNA databases.