The trial of a woman accused of failing to share that she had HIV before she had unprotected sex with a man is continuing in Perth’s District Court.
CJ Palmer, who is transgender, and who was a sex worker, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm. It is alleged that she was informed that she had HIV and did not disclose this information with a man she later had a sexual relationship with.
Yesterday in court Palmer gave testimony saying she had never been informed that a blood test had returned a positive result for HIV. Earlier during the trial a nurse from the Western Australian Substance Users Association testified that she had informed Palmer of the test results during a visit to her home.
Palmer said when nurse Joanne Morgan visited her 2014 they had both been “emotional” but there was no discussion about her having any sexually transmitted infections.
The defendant said she “freaked out” when she was contacted by the man, who can not be named, and he informed her that he had tested positive for HIV.
Palmer admitted that she lied to the man when she promised him that she too would get tested, something that she did not do. She said he knowledge of HIV was very limited and she did not think she needed to get tested as she had not shown any symptoms.
She said she only became aware that she had the virus after she was arrested interstate and extradited back to Western Australia.
The trial is continuing and is expected to conclude later this week.
OIP Staff
