Question posted in the General Law category relating to KwaZulu-Natal
Re: My girlfiend knowingly exposed me to HIV and forged HIV reports.
I was approached by my girlfiend, whom I had known prior, towards end of Dec 2015/beginning of Jan 2016 to assist her with accomodation. I agreed that she could join me at my residence, which she did in Jan 2016. A relationship developed between us. I asked her in Jan 2016 about her HIV status and when last she did a test. She informed me that she did a test in Jan 2016 and the result was negative. Over a course of a few months, it came to my attention that she was having multiple relationships. I raised the HIV question a multiple times as I was getting concerned about having unprotected sex with her. She would deny each count of the multiple relationships. At some point, she briefly showed me an HIV report reflecting she was HIV negative. At the time, I was convinced that she was HIV negative.
Around Jul 2016, I picked a conversation she had with one of her former boyfriends early in 2016 about their HIV status. I noted WhatsApp messages through which she shared ClinPath and AmPath HIV reports reflecting that she was HIV negative. A short while later, I realised that these reports were not authentic after coming across material used to create the reports and comparing the hand written parts in the reports with her own handwriting. I also came across a Lancet report of the test she did in Jan 2016, which showed a positive result. It dawned on me that the ClinPath and AmPath reports had been forged. I confronted her in Aug 2016 about the HIV reports, about knowingly lying to me about her HIV status and about knowingly and deliberately exposing me to HIV infection. I tried to distance myself but she insisted staying at my residence, theatening suicide if I chased her away. At some point, she attempted to commit suide by taking lots of pills. Subsequent HIV tests confirmed that she was HIV positive.
In a nutshell, there could be a criminal offences for assault with intent to do bodilty harm, together with forgery and uttering. Or I can lay civil proceedings against her for knowingly exposing me HIV.