Vengeance or Justice

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(No Transcript)
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Vengeance or Justice?

• The Impact of Criminal Law on HIV Positive
  Families.
• Angelina Namiba

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Current Situation

• One persons revenge is another persons justice
• More women prosecute
• Many more women do not prosecute for various
  reasons

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Case Study

• Married. Friend suggested testing. Positive.
  Discovered bigamy. Took him to court. More women
  came forward. Those he had married and others
  hed had one night stands with. Went to jail for
  7 years. 4 for GBH for infecting one of the
  women, and the rest for defrauding the DHSS,
  using false documents and other charges.
• Media concentrated on the HIV
• Quote

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Impact on children and families

• Family relationships likely to affected
• Relationship between consenting adults
• Relationship between parent and child
• Relationships of convenience

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Implications for families

• Prosecution reveals identity therefore
• Forced disclosure when families not ready
• Not disclosing to children who become sexually
  active whos liable
• Breastfeeding whos liable?
• Preventing children taking ARVs whos liable
• Rape
• Prosecution perpetuates fear to disclose

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Summary

• Prosecution for the transmission of HIV
• Implications within family setting
• Perpetuates fear to disclose
• Can be lessened by not judging but offering
  information and support