No justice in child DNA plan

I AGREE with both Professor Liz Campbell and Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, that including children/young people in the proposed Scottish Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill and thus allowing retention of their DNA, even if subject to the Scottish Children's Hearings system, will be treating them as criminals ("Anger at plan to keep child crime DNA", News, 4 April).

Although offences are taken into account if referred to a Children's Panel, the Supervision Orders put in place are not convictions and therefore should not be deemed as such.

Surely, as the current legislation stands, if a criminal charge is brought against a child of eight years or over, and it is thought to be so serious as to require DNA retention, this should go before a court.

The article's assertion that "the hearings system does have the power to punish troubled children", shows a total misunderstanding of both the hearings system and the law. In addition, the quote by the commissioner that "it could see a child as young as eight and guilty of nothing more than a playground scuffle…", is worrying in the extreme. Suggesting that a child could be subject to a Children's Hearing for such an event is ludicrous, and I sincerely hope the Commissioner has been misquoted. It is hoped the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee will, as the convener promises, "consider the matter very carefully".

Bob Bertram, Pathhead