“My European husband infected me with HIV” - Woman tells court

A Gambian lady has told Pa Harry Jammeh, the presiding magistrate of the Brikama Magistrates Court that her Belgian husband infected her with the HIV virus, which prompted her to pour hot water on him.

The lady made this revelation yesterday while taking her plea. She did not deny the allegation that she poured hot water on her husband but said he had infected her with all kinds of sexual diseases ranging from HIV/Aids, gonorrhea, syphilis and the like and now wants to divorce her and go back to his home country. The accused said in order to protest against the man’s action, she decided to pour hot water on him.

The young lady said when the man brought the issue of divorce and said he could not take her to Belgium, she insisted on him taking her but he flatly refused. She said she gave him a further option of coming back to the country at least once a year, but the man insisted on the divorce. At that stage, the magistrate asked her if she had papers to confirm her statements. She replied affirmatively and informed the court that she has papers from Hands on Care in Brikama, a clinic that deals with HIV/Aids and clinically ill patients.

The magistrate said the court would grant her bail though the offense with which she was charged is a serious one. He further explained that this was to give her the chance to take her medication properly.