Prosecutor in Suriname seeking 10-year prison term for HIV

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – The Public Prosecution Service (OM) in Suriname is seeking a 10-year unconditional prison sentence for a man accused of rape, unlawful deprivation of liberty, assault, and attempted intentional HIV infection.

The OM is also asking the court to deny the man bail.

The court was told that the victim, a sex worker, had accompanied the man to his home in exchange for payment, and according to the OM, while the two had initially engaged in consensual sex, the woman indicated she wanted to leave, but the suspect allegedly refused to let her go.

The OM, which did not disclose when the incident occurred, said that the man subsequently assaulted the woman by, among other things, hitting, biting, and strangling her. He is also alleged to have torn her clothing and then forced her to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse.

According to the OM, the victim has given consistent statements from the moment of filing the complaint up to and including the hearing of the case at trial, and that her statements are supported by photographs of the injuries and other evidence in the case file.

The court was told that when the police arrived at the residence, the suspect refused to open the door, and the Fire Department had to provide assistance so that the police could enter the home and free the victim.

During the trial, the Public Prosecution Service further argued that the victim, despite working as a sex worker, practised safe sex by using a condom and that the suspect knew that he was HIV-positive but allegedly failed to inform the victim of this. The OM claimed that he raped her without using a condom.

The OM said that, in doing so, the suspect wilfully and knowingly exposed her to a risk of which she was unaware, and that the fact that the victim works as a sex worker in no way justifies the actions of which the man is suspected.

The Public Prosecution Service is asking for a 10-year prison sentence, deducting the time he has spent in pre-trial detention. The case is continuing.

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