Woman charged with infecting neighbour's baby with HIV

The 27-year-old woman, who is HIV positive, is accused of breastfeeding her neighbour's baby. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A woman was on Tuesday charged in a Nakuru court with deliberately transmitting HIV to a nine-months-old baby belonging to her neighbour.

The 27-year-old who appeared before Principal Magistrate Joe Omido, was accused of breastfeeding the infant when she knew was HIV positive.

The charge sheet said the woman knowingly and wilfully breastfeed the infant and knew her action was likely to infect the baby with HIV.

The suspect is accused of committing the offense on September 18 at in Njoro sub- county.

According to the prosecution the child’s mother had left the infant in the care of the suspect, who is her neighbour and left for work.

But the complainant was not aware that the suspect was carrying the HIV virus.

During the course of the day, the baby started crying and efforts by the woman to calm the baby were fruitless. She resorted to breastfeed the baby. 

She was caught by neighbours who reported the matter to the police. She was arrested and taken to Njoro Police Station.