Dear Sir/Madam,

The horrific case of rape reported in today's Telegraph  ("Intruder rapes primary school pupil in her bed") fills me with anger, not so much at the rapist, on whose inhuman behaviour I don't want to waste my emotions, but at those who reject the one thing, a comprehensive database of DNA profiles, that would quickly and reliably expose his identity, secure his rapid apprehension and prevent him from raping again. Notwithstanding that such a database would most likely have deterred him from raping in the first place.

Why all the anxiety about having one's DNA profile in a secure government database, where it will only serve reliable identification? No one will be able to clone you! And even if some misuse should occur, surely it pales into insignificance compared with all the horrific rapes and murders that could be solved and - more importantly - prevented. Serial rapists and murderers would become a thing of the past.

No doubt there are some who do have reason to fear a national DNA database, but I am not one of them.

I invite everyone (especially other men) to join me in offering a sample of our DNA to the government as the basis for a Voluntary DNA Database.

Obviously, criminals are not going to volunteer samples of their DNA, but the more people the police can eliminate as potential suspects the easier it will be for them to do their job and catch the culprits.

A Voluntary DNA Database would overcome the understandable stigma attached to the present (non-voluntary) police database, which is drawn from actual criminals and suspects. In contrast, to be in my database would be something to be proud of, helping to put one beyond suspicion when it comes to certain forms of serious crime, as well as making a positive contribution to fighting such crime as the horrific rape referred to above - instead of just lamenting about how terrible it is!

I wonder, would the government support a Voluntary DNA Database, as it has the CitizenCard identity scheme, also reported in today’s Telegraph  ("A million teenagers carry ID")?

What about the Daily Telegraph polling its readers to find out what they think of the idea?

Yours sincerely

Roger Hicks @ www.spaceship-earth.org