Rollout of pioneering DNA test will mean historic sex cases can be reopened

[Jim Burton]

https://metro.co.uk/2025/12/16/rollout- ... -25466531/

A pioneering DNA tool that could help boost identification of sex offenders by more than a fifth will be rolled out across the UK, the Home Office has announced.

The tech, known as Y-STR profiling, is used to pick out tiny amounts of material left behind by a male attacker which would otherwise be almost undetectable among female DNA.

It’s expected the expansion will mean the police can reopen some historic sex crime cases, while also giving them a broader toolkit for new investigations.

In Singapore, the use of Y-STR profiling led to an increase of more than 20% in the identification of potential offenders.