The Independent’s Joan Smith argues, “the hunt for the ideal rape victim is never-ending but fruitless, for the simple reason that it requires unimpeachable conduct on the part of the victim in every area of her life, past and present. Women who have been drinking, who know their alleged attacker or who’ve ever told a lie to a public official, even in an unrelated matter, are not victims prosecutors want to put before juries.”

Trinidad & Tobago’s Attorney-General Anand Ramlogan is seeking to revive a six-year old bill which would impose a sentence of life in prison on anyone who wilfully spreads HIV/AIDS, resulting in the death of the person.

Code Red reacted:

“Criminalising HIV entrenches stigma and does not hold people equally responsible for their own sexual behaviour and choices.”

And I replied,

“I would agree with you if there was never a need for unprotected sex.

It’s okay to talk about being responsible for your own sexual behaviour and choices - but the extent to which you are solely responsible is limited when you decide to start a family, or when you’re married. The most you can do is test, and test results are only valid as at the last sexual encounter that pre-dated the test, and even then it is subject to window periods. At some point, you will always have to surrender personal responsibility on the basis of trust.

So we can either choose to believe that holding yourself responsible means that you either become celibate; always use condoms against your desire to start a family or to have a meaningful marriage; or maniacally test and suspect your mate, or we can recognise that there is a shared responsibility to disclose risks and introduce harsh penalties for those who choose not to.”

I concede though, they’ll be in for a hell of a time proving intent.