October 21, 2009

Australia: Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Knowingly Transmitting HIV

An HIV-positive Victoria, Australia man—who was diagnosed in 1993—faces a 10-year jail sentence for transmitting the virus to a female partner, the Australian Associated Press reports.

Wepukhulu Zebtek, 44, is originally from Uganda. He was charged in 2007 after a woman he had sex with later tested HIV positive, and he pleaded guilty to a grievous bodily harm charge. The prosecutor said Zebtek did not wear a condom and did not disclose his HIV status to the complainant, a 48-year-old widow.

In 2002, the Victorian Department of Health counseled him on condom use after he reportedly had unprotected sex with several women outside his marriage.

Zebtek is currently out on renewed bail and will undergo psychological evaluation before his December 16 sentencing.

Search: Australia, criminalization, transmission, Victoria, Wepukhulu Zebtek

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Previous Comments:

loca, , 2009-10-26 08:24:00
Why would n't these women ask their partners to wear condom. It is that simple. No they enjoyed to be cummed inside and later they go to complain. They must be mad. Wear Condom and keep your fantasy for certified disease free partner. I am Hiv negative male and never had a woman who insisted on condoms but I do insist because I know I do not have HIV and it is also the reason why I stayed negative till now I am married. Unprotected sex = bacteria,fungi and virus exchange nobody bargains for.

Edwin J Bernard, UK, 2009-10-22 11:36:00
I'm usually impressed with your reporting on criminalization, but I need to point that your headline is misleading (he has not yet been sentenced) and that the facts, summarised from AAP, in your story are not what they appear to be. Mr Zebtek could not possibly have transmitted HIV to this woman, and the court knows this. Please see my blog entry for more information. criminalhivtransmission.blogspot.com/2009/10/australia-man-pleads-guilty-to.html