Home > Magazines > New Scientist

Killer's violent genes cut sentence

Staff,
New Scientist
Posted 11/07/2009 at 12:01 am EST

A JUDGE's decision to reduce a killer's sentence because he has genetic mutations linked to violence raises a thorny question - can your genes ever absolve you of responsibility for a particular act?

In 2007, Abdelmalek Bayout admitted to stabbing and killing a man and received a sentenced of 9 years and 2 months. Last week, Nature reported that Pier Valerio Reinotti, an appeal court judge in Trieste, Italy, cut Bayout's sentence by a year after finding out he has gene variants linked to aggression. Leaving aside the question of whether this link is well enough understood to justify Reinotti's decision, should genes ever be considered a legitimate defence?

No, says Nita Farahany, a legal scholar at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, who tracks the use of behavioural genetics in the courtroom. She says genes may provide a guide as to how someone is likely to behave, but they will never tell us why they committed a specific act. "It doesn't tell us why they did the thing they did and that's what criminal cases are ultimately interested in."

What's more, the gene argument seems to cut both ways. Reinotti viewed Bayout's genes as mitigating his crime, but Farahany has noticed that US courts are increasingly using genes in evidence for the prosecution. "It's just as likely to be used against a criminal defendant as for," she says. "People don't recognise the double-edged potential of this evidence."
(c) 2009 Reed Business Information - UK. All Rights Reserved.
Want to contact us?

For sales information

Licensing and Reprints

TMS Licensing: We license popular cartoon characters, puzzles and content from renowned creators for print, interactive, TV and film, mobile and board games. TMS also licenses unique commentary in politics, travel, health, business and other categories.

TMS reprints: We grant websites, newsletters, books and other publications permission to reprint any of the 150-plus columns, cartoons, magazine articles, photos and graphics found in our catalog. This content also can be used in corporate communications and training materials.