Sat 25 Mar 2017 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Mikio Filitonga An Auckland man has been found guilty of infecting his then-partner with HIV. Mikio Filitonga, 37, has been on trial by jury this week in the Auckland District Court, charged with causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard and committing criminal nuisance by doing an unlawful act. The jury took almost seven hours to reach a verdict after hearing the crown suggest that Filitonga knew he had HIV when he and the other man, who has name suppression, began a sexual relationship after meeting in an Auckland park. The man said Filitonga indicated to him that he did not have HIV and the pair had unprotected sex. The defense claimed the partner was untrustworthy and could have contracted HIV from someone else. It was also suggested that Filitonga had actually told the partner he had HIV before they had sex. Filitonga appeared shocked and emotional when the verdict was delivered. Some family members in court cried while others protested his innocence. He will be sentenced in May. GayNZ.com Daily News sources are aware of just two other cases in New Zealand in which a gay or bisexual man has been found guilty in connection with being HIV-positive and having unprotected sex without disclosing HIV status. In 1999 David Purvis pleaded guilty and the same year Christopher Truscott was convicted.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 25th March 2017 - 7:06pm