Photo/Illutration Hideyuki Fukuda, chief of the Saga prefectural police, apologizes for a crime lab employee’s misconduct concerning DNA analyses at a prefectural assembly session on Sept. 17. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

I am I, the one and only. But what proof of identity do I have? A scar on my arm from a childhood dog bite? Or the distinct curve of my neck that I inherited from my father?

For the police, the answer must be DNA testing, at least in terms of accuracy and reliability.

But there’s a catch, of course. Nearly 20 years ago, a murder occurred in the German city of Heilbronn. When the suspect’s DNA was collected, the police were stunned that the same DNA evidence had been recovered from about 40 crime scenes around Europe.

But an even bigger surprise came when the police finally identified the suspected serial killer, nicknamed “The Phantom of Heilbronn.”

The individual turned out to be an employee of a factory where cotton swabs for DNA collection were being manufactured.

The swabs were being packaged with bare hands, which resulted in the Phantom’s DNA contaminating the swabs.

The police had to rework the Phantom case from scratch.

No matter how accurate and reliable the technology, it is never failproof so long as it is human operated. It’s just a plain fact that humans make mistakes and, God forbid, may even cheat.

And I suppose that that was what happened at the Saga prefectural police, where a forensic DNA analyst was found to have fabricated 130 reports on tests.

The analyst reportedly wanted to “appear efficient” in his job. How silly.

This case is said to have no effect on ongoing investigations and lawsuits, but I don’t believe matters are as simple as that.

Japan’s law enforcement agencies possess DNA data of as many as 1.89 million individuals, but there is no law pertaining to how such data should be handled.

I’d say this situation is grievously lacking in transparency.

Science can certainly help cops bust criminals. But DNA is each individual’s ultimate “personal information” and proof of identity.

It must never be handled carelessly. It’s too scary to imagine such an eventuality.

—The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 28

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.