Sweden: Gay man, 27, found guilty of lesser charge of ‘damaging another person’s health’ after one-night stand results in HIV transmission

Sentencing

Swedish man convicted of spreading HIV

June 28, 2013
Source: The Local

A 27-year-old Swedish man from Lund in southern Sweden has been found guilty of spreading HIV to a sexual partner. The prosecutor initially charged him with one account of aggravated assault, but the court instead found him guilty of the lesser charge of damaging another person’s health (grovt vållande av sjukdom).

The two men met online, exchanging messages and agreeing to meet. Details of the one-night stand, however, have been described in different ways by the two men, according to reporting by the TT news agency.  The plaintiff has adequately proven that he was infected by HIV during the encounter with the 27-year-old, who has carried the virus for several years.

The man was sentenced to 240 hours of community service, which according to Lund District Court’s verdict is the equivalent of one year in prison. The 27-year-old also has to pay his former sex partner 606,800 kronor in damages.