20 Sep 2003

PNG man accused of injecting wife with AIDS/HIV virus

9:13 am on 20 September 2003

A Papua New Guinea man has been charged with manslaughter over the death of his baby and the injection of his wife with the AIDS/HIV virus.

Police allege the Southern Highlands man injected his wife with a blood filled syringe when she was five months pregnant in November last year.

Relatives of the woman had wanted compensation but police intervened and charged the man.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Gari Baki, says the man has been charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of causing another to receive a noxious thing.

Mr Baki says the second charge will be changed to manslaughter if the wife dies.

The baby died within three months of its birth.