Passing HIV with intent to harm

[TriplexDread]

Whats your opinion?
Mine you ask, well they should be imprisoned as far as i'm concerned. That is aslong as it can be proved without a doubt it was actually the accused that did it!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5282806.stm

 

[Ian]

I quite agree if they did it on purpose! Then again anyone that needs a law to stop them from doing such a thing probably won't make a difference anyway.

 

[TriplexDread]

I think its an absolute disgrace that someone could even think of condeming anyone else to such a disease. They really do need locking up.

Surely with the advancements of DNA mapping technology and other forensics there must be someway of determining who it was exactly?

 

[floppybootstomp]

All the time a cure hasn't been found, it could almost be a murder charge, if intent is proved. Or at least attempted murder.

 

[cirianz]

I'm afraid i would agree. A deliberate attempt to infect someone with a lethal disease has to be defined as attempted murder.
The grey area comes with proving intent.
& as for it increasing stigma?
I would've thought that knowing that there are people out there with aids who are deliberately passing the disease along & the legal system is doing nothing about it is much more likely to increase stigma.
Indeed, I would think that such a thing would be very likely to create the sort of backlash we saw in the eighties & many ordinary & responsible aids sufferers could suffer as a result of the actions of a few.