A mother of four whose boyfriend knowingly infected her with HIV has told how she only found out she was in danger after tracking down his ex on Facebook.
Simba Kuuya even had a child with the woman, from Swansea, despite having known he carried the virus for at least four years.
The victim, who fears he may already have infected other women, said: “I don’t hate him. I’m annoyed that he never told me.
“I’m concerned about other people that he may have passed it on to.
“If anyone out there recognises his name and they have had unprotected sex with him they should get themselves tested.”
She said having HIV has had a “devastating” effect on her life.
The woman, who cannot be named, met Rochdale-based Kuuya in an online chat room and they then met face to face in 2012.
“We had a relationship for 18 months. We had a baby boy.
“But the baby only lived for a few weeks. He died in my arms.”
The baby had been starved of oxygen during a breech birth and suffered brain damage.
'Fear I would die'
“During my pregnancy I had been routinely tested at 28 weeks for HIV and it came back negative.
“After the baby died the relationship was difficult and broke down. We split up in 2014.
“I left him in Rochdale and came back to Swansea .
“I found the name of a woman on a piece of paper he had left behind – an ex-girlfriend. Out of curiosity I contacted her via Facebook .
“She told me that he could have the HIV virus. I was shocked and went for a test the next day.
“When the doctors told me it was positive I was devastated. I went to town to try and be normal but I couldn’t walk it was so upsetting.
“All I could think was the image of Aids and the fear that I would die.
“It has changed my life completely. I have four children from a previous relationship and have to be so careful around the children – if I was to get cut they could get infected.
“But the children will learn from my experiences.
“I have to take medication every day for the rest of my life.
“If Simba had told me of his condition I could have taken precautions or chosen not to be with him – but I never got that choice.”
'He was in denial'
She added: “I tell people I am HIV. You face that risk of rejection when you do but I want to be honest with people – otherwise I am no better than Simba.
“I don’t know who else he has slept with – I just want to get a message out to warn others.”
Kuuya, of Rhodes Crescent, Kirkholt, Rochdale, was jailed for 28 months at Swansea Crown Court .
His victim said: “It is not enough. He will be out in 12 months. I have to live with this for the rest of my life.
“His reason for not telling me was that he was in denial.”
Kuuya had previously pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm when he appeared via videolink for sentencing.
Swansea Crown Court heard that although the woman Kuuya infected felt physically well the diagnosis had had a “devastating” effect on her and her family and left her feeling angry and upset.
The court was told Kuuya has 14 previous convictions for 25 offences including burglary, assaulting a police officer, theft, affray, battery against his mother, and assaulting a partner by glassing her in face with a smashed tumbler.
Huw Rees, in mitigation, said the defendant had been in denial about his condition – something which “sadly had consequences for others”.
His Honour Judge Christopher Vosper QC told Kuuya his victim’s life had been completely changed by being infected — “something that could easily have been avoided if you had been honest from the start”.
The judge said: “You chose to conceal something from her that you should have been open about — the consequences have been devastating.”
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/man-knowingly-infected-partner-hiv-10735647
No comments:
Post a Comment