Individual Identification from Semen by the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Fingerprint Technique

For individual identification from semen, the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fingerprint technique was used. In a blind trial, we succeeded in determining the semen donors among several volunteers comparing the DNA fingerprints of the blood and semen samples, respectively. Thereafter, we examined semen in a condom left beside a naked female dead body. The DNA fingerprint of the semen was recognized to be identical to that of the blood from a suspected man arrested later. This is the first report that the DNA fingerprint technique was practically used in a criminal investigation in Japan.