Human rights advocate slams collection of DNA samples from men, boys in Manitoba First Nation

RCMP are gathering DNA samples from men and boys on a remote Manitoba First Nation in an effort to solve the homicide of 11-year-old Teresa Robinson, but a civil liberties advocate and northern leaders are raising questions about the investigative tactic.

Garden HillChief Arnold Flett said officers arrived in his community, 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg,on the weekend.

Since then, officers have been getting samples from males between 15-66 years old, said spokesman Bert Paquet, noting that allsamples are beinggiven to officers voluntarily.

He's not sure how long it will take to gather all of the samples from the estimated2,000 boys and men.

Paquet said thetactic of collecting DNA isn't new for an investigation but the"magnitude of the task in this specific case is unusual."

"It truly demonstrates the lengthinvestigatorsare willing to go in order to bring an unsolved case to a successful conclusion," he said."'Unsolved'is a term that does not sit comfortably with any of the officers I know."

Teresa's body was foundMay 11, 2015, just three days before her12thbirthday. Initially, it wasbelieved she had been mauled by an animal, butRCMPlater said shewas the victim of a homicide.

• Teresa Robinson death: Apparent mauling death a homicide,RCMPsay
• Mauling victim's disappearance not reported to Mounties for 3 days

First Nation leaders told CBC News that Teresa was last seen leaving a birthday party in Garden Hill on May 5, 2015. A local search began after she didn't return home butRCMPweren't notified until May 8.

Her body was found three days later and an autopsy was performed, which led police to declare her death a homicide.

'Are you hiding something?'

Corey Shefman, a human rights lawyer in Winnipeg and past president of the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, says he doesn't believe people are really being invited to offer DNA samples voluntarily.

"Particularly if you're an indigenous person, if a police officer shows up at your door and says, 'We'd like you to voluntarily give us some of your DNA,' if you were to say no, the next thing to come out of their mouths is not going to be 'OK, thanks, have a nice day.' It's going to be, 'Why don't you want to give us your DNA? Are you hiding something?' So by refusing, you're making yourself suspect number one. It isn't truly voluntary," he said.

Shefman added that questions must be asked about making generalizations and sweeping conclusions about a group of people in this case, a First Nations community.

"Some 60 per cent of people in Manitoba jails are indigenous and we can't ignore that context, particularly because when we talk about how they're going to door-to-door, they're asking for people to voluntarily give DNA in Garden Hill First Nation. They're not going door-to-door in River Heights," he said.

Shefman said he also has concerns about what will happen to the collected DNA samples.

"My understanding is they don't simply destroy it. It goes into the national DNA database, which can be accessed by law enforcement," he said.

ButPaquet saidthe DNA samples would not be putinto a database forother investigations.

"They are collected for the purpose of this investigation only. It is explained in our requests for DNA samples when we collect them," he said.

Most have complied, says chief

Anyone who is a minorhad to have their parents' or guardians' consent for police to gather a sample, Flett said, adding that most have complied.

"I think the majority of them welcome this move because they want the case solved," he said."People have been getting impatient and wanting to know what's being done.Now they know that the investigation is still ongoing."

• Family frustrated over lack of answers in Teresa Robinson homicide

Northern chiefs' group has questions

The head of the group that represents northern First Nations says she "has questions" about what the RCMP are doing in the community.

Sheila North Wilson,grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), saidwhile she supports the RCMP's investigation into the case, she is meeting with themin Winnipeg Thursday on this and other issues.