Criminals are sometimes viewed as “other people.” But have you ever eaten items while supermarket shopping, exceeded the speed limit, dropped litter in the street? These are crimes, but rarely would we be confronted over these actions. Indeed, surely someone who stole food would probably be someone who is hungry.
Between 1788 and 1868, more than 162,000 convicts were transported from the UK to Australia for what we would now probably consider very petty crimes. Morality therefore seems to be on a continuum. However, the interplay between labelling, ethics, and the law emerge.
Many of us find criminality intriguing and watch detective and true crime stories on the television. How much would you reveal about any criminals on your tree? Compiling your family history has changed radically since the use of direct-to-consumer DNA tests. An unexpected consequence of DNA testing is that law enforcement has utilised information from GEDMatch and online trees to apprehend a suspected serial killer, which has created a division in the genealogy field. In this discussion, Dr. Penny Walters will explore these interesting ethical dilemmas about perceived invasions of privacy and more.
FREE; To register, email the Bruce County Genealogical Society: BCGSwebinars@gmail.com or register online.
This event is hosted by the Bruce County Genealogical Society.
About Dr. Penny Walters
Dr. Penny Walters has been a University lecturer for 35 years, currently teaching in Bath Spa University Business School, England. Penny’s interest in genealogy started after having her first baby and then wondering about her biological parents, as she was adopted. Penny has six mixed race children, who have all enjoyed discovering their roots through DNA ethnicity results.
Penny lectures internationally in-person, including throughout America, Australia, Ireland and the UK. Penny is sought after for a wide range of conference and webinar topics. Penny has authored the books: ‘Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy’ (2019) and ‘The Psychology of Searching’ (2020), available on Amazon in paperback or on kindle. www.searchmypast.co.uk
