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France to Digitize DNA Match Reports After Audit Finds Failures in Pelicot Case

The shift follows an inspection that found a 2010 DNA hit linked to Dominique Pelicot went unprocessed after a paper notice failed to reach the court.

Overview

  • The Justice Ministry said reports from the national DNA database will be sent exclusively via secure digital channels starting in February 2026.
  • The IGJ report documents major procedural failings but says it cannot establish a judicial dysfunction with certainty.
  • Inspectors could not prove the Meaux court received the 2010 SNPS letter reporting a match to a 1999 attempted rape in Villeparisis, which was mailed without tracking.
  • The Meaux prosecutor’s office was undergoing reorganization in 2010 with weak mail traceability, and the notice was addressed to a magistrate who had already left the court.
  • The audit flags broader vulnerabilities in handling FNAEG outputs and draws criticism from victims’ representatives and Pelicot’s lawyer over the lack of clear accountability.