ID :
124293
Wed, 05/26/2010 - 07:59
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/124293
The shortlink copeid
Acrobat knowingly spread HIV: police
Police allege a circus acrobat knowingly spread HIV during unprotected sex with at
least 12 women and are appealing for them to contact medical authorities and police.
The women have been urged to seek medical testing as soon as possible.
Zimbabwean-born Australian citizen, Godfrey Zaburoni, 31, was on Tuesday afternoon
extradited from NSW to the Gold Coast, where he will appear in Southport Magistrates
Court on Wednesday.
Queensland police Acting Deputy Commissioner Col McCallum told reporters in Brisbane
the man, who has been HIV positive since 1997, would face two charges relating to
transmitting a serious disease.
He urged anyone who had information relating to the case to contact Crime Stoppers.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said Zaburoni had had unprotected
sex with at least 12 women across the country.
"Unfortunately he couldn't give enough detail so we could contact those women
directly," Dr Young said.
She said under normal circumstances confidential information would not be released,
but in the absence of other information to identify the women it was necessary to
make a public appeal.
It is believed Zaburoni had sex with seven women in Queensland and a number of
others in NSW and Victoria, but it is possible there were other sexual partners in
other states.
"Any woman anywhere in the country who has had unprotected sex with this man should
go and get themselves tested," Dr Young said.
Dr Young said Zaburoni had criss-crossed the country with various circus companies.
A Queensland woman had laid a complaint after testing HIV-positive late last year.
Dr Young said if any of the women who came forward tested positive, health
authorities would have to trace subsequent sexual partners they had had.
It is understood none of the women are over 40 years of age.
Mr Zaburoni was escorted by detectives to Coolangatta on Tuesday afternoon, before
his court appearance on Wednesday.
Mr McCallum said to date there had been only one conviction in Queensland for
knowingly transmitting a serious disease.
least 12 women and are appealing for them to contact medical authorities and police.
The women have been urged to seek medical testing as soon as possible.
Zimbabwean-born Australian citizen, Godfrey Zaburoni, 31, was on Tuesday afternoon
extradited from NSW to the Gold Coast, where he will appear in Southport Magistrates
Court on Wednesday.
Queensland police Acting Deputy Commissioner Col McCallum told reporters in Brisbane
the man, who has been HIV positive since 1997, would face two charges relating to
transmitting a serious disease.
He urged anyone who had information relating to the case to contact Crime Stoppers.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said Zaburoni had had unprotected
sex with at least 12 women across the country.
"Unfortunately he couldn't give enough detail so we could contact those women
directly," Dr Young said.
She said under normal circumstances confidential information would not be released,
but in the absence of other information to identify the women it was necessary to
make a public appeal.
It is believed Zaburoni had sex with seven women in Queensland and a number of
others in NSW and Victoria, but it is possible there were other sexual partners in
other states.
"Any woman anywhere in the country who has had unprotected sex with this man should
go and get themselves tested," Dr Young said.
Dr Young said Zaburoni had criss-crossed the country with various circus companies.
A Queensland woman had laid a complaint after testing HIV-positive late last year.
Dr Young said if any of the women who came forward tested positive, health
authorities would have to trace subsequent sexual partners they had had.
It is understood none of the women are over 40 years of age.
Mr Zaburoni was escorted by detectives to Coolangatta on Tuesday afternoon, before
his court appearance on Wednesday.
Mr McCallum said to date there had been only one conviction in Queensland for
knowingly transmitting a serious disease.
