moved for leave to introduce Bill C-244, an act to provide for the taking of samples of blood for the benefit of persons administering and enforcing the law and good Samaritans and to amend the Criminal Code.
Mr. Speaker, last year there was a very unfortunate incident in my riding. A young man apprehended a thief who was shoplifting from a store and unfortunately quite a bit of the perpetrator's blood spilled on him. There is no legal way to force that thief to give a blood sample for disease testing. For several months afterward the young man and his family went through the emotional anguish of extensive drug prevention therapy just in case there was HIV present. It was also a very expensive and a very trying time for the entire family and especially for the young man.
This bill will eliminate the terrible emotional anguish for good Samaritans who find themselves in similar circumstances in the future. The rights of police officers, health professionals and good Samaritans who try to protect life and stop crime must take precedence over the rights of the perpetrators of any wrongdoing.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)