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When Najda Benaissa, 28, found out she was HIV positive, her pop star status meant she keep it from everyone -- including her then boyfriend who she had unprotected sex with. Now she's paid the price. Benaissa was convicted in a German court on Aug. 26 for getting in the sack with him and two other men -- knowing that she had the virus.
According to German law, anyone can be sued if they are HIV positive, have unprotected sex with a partner and don't tell the other party (or, in this case, -ies.) Although the German pop princess has known of her condition since 1999, her ex said she infected him in 2004, Medical News Today reported. Benaissa finally came out with the truth at an AIDS charity gala in 2009.
She was then arrested in April and has been on trial since Aug. 16.
"I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart," she told the court. "I wish I could turn back time and make everything undone. But I know that he will never forgive me."
She's been given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 300 hours community service; however, she could have faced up to ten years in jail.
Now it's your turn to play judge and jury: Does the punishment in this case fit the crime?
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Saturday 28 August
By mjay
She is a woman, therefore she is legally privileged.
I am surprised she got such a harsh sentence. For a woman her sentence was quite severe.
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Saturday 28 August
By Jackie
N-a-d-J-a Lemondrop, N-a-d-J-a, not N-a-j-d-a.
And only two years and 300 hours of community service? Let's see how she Lindsay Lohan herself out of that one.
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Saturday 28 August
By lala
2 years suspended and community service? and she infected 3 men? you gotta be kidding me. it's too light of a sentence!
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Sunday 29 August
By Kat
She murdered those men. HIV is a death sentence. If she'd been ignorant, that would be a different scenario. But she deserves a far greater punishment than she's received. Lindsay Lohan hasn't done anything so despicable.
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Sunday 29 August
By nodevout
there are still so few laws aganist hiv and aids that people get away with this all the time the world over. she should have gotten more years in jail for that and made to pay for her victims' medical bills. cuz she can afford it, and they'll have plenty!
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Tuesday 31 August
By aersixb9
I guess it matters if you think aids has puritanical origins or not.
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Thursday 02 September
By Chantz
Did he ask? Was it a malicious act? Was this man involved in any other high risk activities? Many women with HIV don't inform their male partners because the risk of Female to Male contraction is considerably lower. I'm not saying its right but I think there needs to be more info to determine a proper sentence.
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Monday 06 September
By Eric
Being sexually abstinent is still the best policy.
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Tuesday 14 September
By MMK
The punishment DOES NOT MEET THE CRIME! This, provided she acted deliberately as the press reports convey! Tragic! Selfish! Ten years in prison and working in an AIDS clinic should have been the minimum sentence, IMO
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Saturday 18 September
By emerald
She basically murdered these people. As she's having sex with them, she's looking at them thinking, "your life is over. You're as dead as me." she took away life, knowingly. If she had gone to their houses and stabbed them to dealth, it would be called pre-meditated murder. She did the same thing, just a slower dealth. It was pre-meditated and just community service and 2 years suspended sentence???
Is it because she's famous? Cuz you know if it was some woman off the street, she'd actually serve a real sentence. why didnt the judge just slap her on the wrist and banish her from the spa for 6 months. that would have been enough, considering she's a celebrity and all.
Dumb!!!!
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