The Pretoria Magistrate's Court sentenced a former SANDF employee to life imprisonment for raping his girlfriend at the time. Leon Santos Conga (48) was given an additional 10-year direct imprisonment for attempted murder for knowingly exposing and infecting his girlfriend with HIV. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently. 

HE KNOWINGLY INFECTED HER

Spokesperson for NPA Lumka Mahanjana said Conga and the victim were in a romantic relationship for four months from 16 December 2016 until April 2017. Before the two began their relationship, the victim had done an HIV test on December 1, 2016, which came back negative. "When the two started their relationship, the victim raised the HIV conversation and insisted on knowing Conga's HIV status. Conga then lied and misled the victim and told her that he was HIV negative, hence his employer was able to deploy him outside the country. However, the victim came with the condition in their relationship that no condom, no sex," Mahanjana said, adding that one time when the two were intimate, Conga removed the condom. This happened twice until the victim felt unwell and went to do an HIV test, and the results came back positive. "She confronted Conga, who denied infecting her. She then reported the matter to the police in May 2017; however, the docket was only opened on 09 July 2017. In 2018, after several postponements in court, the matter was withdrawn due to insufficient evidence. However, after investigations and the required evidence was obtained from the SANDF, the matter was re-enrolled on 21 August 2021, and Conga appeared in court," added Mahanjana.

NO REMORSE

During the trial, Conga claimed that the condom was removed by the complainant, but evidence from his medical records revealed that Conga first tested HIV positive on October 8, 2007, therefore he was aware of his HIV status when he removed the condom and had intercourse with the victim. Regional Magistrate Fikiswa Ntlati said Conga showed no remorse and that he committed a very serious offence that had devastating effects on the victim and her family. NPA welcomed the sentence and appreciated the contribution that AfriForum made towards the successful prosecution of the case. "We also want to send a clear message that offences of this nature that have permanent adverse impact on the victim will not be tolerated. Sexual crime offenders will be dealt with the full might of the law," said Mahanjana.