Genetic photofit : The new frontier in crime investigation? = Identikit genetico : la nuova frontiera delle indagini forensi?

Forensic molecular analyses are extensively used in police investigations and in court for the solution of criminal cases, in missing persons and mass disasters identification and in paternity tests. Technical advances have enhanced the capability of analysing very little amount of samples, sometimes severely affected by DNA degradation, with extremely high levels of individualization. A growing number of countries established DNA databases that contain thousands or even millions of genetic profiles, thus further increasing the capability of criminal investigations. On the other hand, important ethical, legal and social issues have emerged, being often a matter of debate. However, there are still a number of fields where improvements can be obtained. One of them is the genetic analysis of physical characteristics such as skin, hair and eye colour, body height and weight; these genetic features can compose a description of the unknown suspect, thus allowing investigators to eliminate potential suspects or narrow down the number of suspects in order to better focus their search. While great emphasis has been dedicated to DNA database-related issues, the same cannot be said for this new investigative tools; therefore, a wider debate is desirable both in the forensic community and in the general society