Raped Woman Learns Attacker Has AIDS

The rape victim found out from a reporter that the man who assaulted her had AIDS. She was never notified by an institution.

A rape victim learned from a reporter of the Vecernji list daily that the man who raped her, who is currently in prison, suffered from AIDS. The woman immediately underwent an HIV test, which proved to be negative five days later.

Nine years have passed since the rape, and the victim was never notified that the attacker had AIDS.

The saddest fact is that the virus can become active even after ten years. The news that the attacker fell ill arrived just several months ago.

On that fateful night nine years ago, the man and the victim drove away in his car. He parked it in a dark area, retrieved a knife and attacked the woman.

The victim is today pregnant with a man who still has not found out that the rapist fell ill with AIDS.

- I have no interest in him, his disease or what happens to him. But I should have been informed because of my child any myself – the rape victim told the Vecernji list paper.

Professor Josip Begovac of the Fran Mihaljevic Infective Diseases clinic said that it was up to the AIDS patient to decide whom they want to notify of their illness.

- At first, an opportunity is given to the diseased person to do so, while the second step is informing through the epidemiology service. I don`t believe we would have missed such a thing – Begovac said and wondered what about the victim`s rights.