Ireland. First HIV criminal transmission case convicted of causing serious harm

[Jim Allen]

Well I can't say i feel sorry for the guy, he went off his treatment.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/seven-women-may-have-been-deliberately-infected-with-hiv-37113117.html

In the first case of its kind here, the State alleged the 28-year-old man was aware of his diagnosis when he infected the women and that this amounted to serious harm.

After an 11-day trial and just under four-and-a-half hours of deliberations, the jury of nine women and three men returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both charges.

Officers now fear that the man may have infected up to five other women in Dublin and other areas of the country over the past decade.

The man, who lives in Dublin, cannot be named to protect the identities of the complainants in the case.

He had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to the two women on dates between November 2009 and June 2010[/size

In his closing speech to the jury on Tuesday, prosecution counsel Dominic McGinn SC submitted that expert witnesses had said all three parties had the same subtype and mutations of the virus.

Mr McGinn said that the complainants had "remarkably similar" accounts and said they used condoms with previous partners.

He reminded the jury that it had heard condoms, "if used correctly, effectively stop transmission" and that oral sex does not lead to infection.

Mr McGinn said there was no evidence that any of the complainants' previous partners were HIV positive.

He told the jury the man lied to the complainants' doctor about his positive diagnosis and "went through the charade" of being tested again for the virus in 2010.

"He knew full well he was HIV positive. He was advised about having safe sex. He admitted that to gardaí and he was given antiviral medication and he didn't take it," Mr McGinn said.

HIV Ireland (NGO) Press statement in responce
http://www.hivireland.ie/press-release-hiv-guilty-verdict-places-spotlight-on-hiv-transmission/

HIV guilty verdict places spotlight on HIV transmission
‘HIV Ireland states when HIV is undetectable it’s also untransmittable’

In the first case of its kind in Ireland, a 28-year old man living with HIV has been convicted of causing serious harm to two former partners by infecting them with HIV. For HIV Ireland, and many people living with HIV, this case raises a number of issues.

Commenting on the case, Niall Mulligan, Executive Director with HIV Ireland said, “This is the first time an individual in Ireland has been convicted of causing harm by recklessly infecting someone with HIV. Whilst it will be for the Court to determine the appropriate sentence, it is crucial to emphasise that this is an isolated incident. The case is less about HIV transmission per se, and more about one person recklessly and knowingly putting another person at risk. We know that people living with HIV, who are compliant with their treatment, and have an undetectable viral load, cannot pass the virus on to someone else.’’

[Jim Allen]

Judge handed down a 10 year sentence earlier today.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-28-who-infected-former-partners-with-hiv-jailed-for-ten-years-37157986.html