Groupe'sida'Genève denounces'the'proposed changes'to art.'231 of the'Swiss'
Penal'Code. Exposure and'transmission'of HIV'will'remain'a'criminal offense
despite'best'evidence'that'criminalisation'is'incompatible'with'the'aims'of'
successful'general'prevention'programmes.
The!executive!branch!of!the!Swiss!government,!the!Federal!Council,!has!introduced!a!bill!
in!the!federal!assembly!to!revise!the!Federal!Law!on!fighting infectious!human!diseases.!
(See!the!Federal!Department!of!the!Interior’s!press!release!of!Friday!December!the!3rd
(
Included!in!the!new!provisions!was!one, article!86 (80!in!the!consultation version), to!
amend!article!231 of!the!Swiss!Penal Code incriminating!the!propagation!of!an!infectious!
human!disease.
The!bill!as!it came!out!of!the!consultation!process!proposed!to!abrogate!the!paragraphs!
dealing!with intentional!and!negligent!exposure!and transmission!of HIV.!Only!the!
qualified!form of!malicious!intent!would!have!been indictable,!the!others!would!not!have!
been considered!offenses.
However,!the!bill,!in!the present!version put!before!the!assembly,!maintains!simple!
intention!and!negligence!as!well!as!malicious!intent!despite!the!broad!acceptance!that!
the consultation’s version!found!amongst!all!stakeholders.
Furthermore,!the!bill!introduces!a!new!paragraph!creating!an!absolute!defence!in!favour!
of!the!accused only in!the!event!he!made!a!full!disclosure!of!the!risk!the!HIV!negative!
partner!was!exposing!him!or!herself!to.
Groupe'sida'Genève is!convinced!this amendment represents!the!complete!opposite!of!
the!position!taken!by!the Swiss'Federal'Commission'for'AIDSGrelated'issues'(FCAI)
in!its!most!recent!Declaration on'the'criminality'of'HIV'transmission.'It!not!only!
maintains!the!criminalisation!of!HIV!positive!persons, but!also spells!out rules!of
disclosure!that!will!only!lead!to!more!stigma!and!discrimination.
Groupe'sida'Genève is!dismayed!by!this!proposal and!would!like!to!encourage!all!to!
join!in!our!condemnation!of!the!backwards!attitude!of!the!Swiss!Authorities. Please!give!
this!information!the!widest!possible!distribution!in!your!networks.
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