Cases

This page provides search tools to access HIV criminalisation case reports recorded in the Global HIV Criminalisation Database.

When considering case reports contained in the Database, please be aware of the following:

• Numerical estimates of cases are based on known media reports, information provided by local community agencies, and systematic studies that have explored the number and type of cases occurring in a particular jurisdiction.
• In most instances, case reports have been taken directly from news media, so reporting does not always reflect the views or values of HJN. They do however provide examples of the way HIV criminalisation cases are publicly described, even if the account of events alleged to have occurred is framed from the perspective of criminal justice system actors.
• Cases are counted from the moment there is a media report, even if the case does not reach a court. This is because cases are usually only reported following police involvement, so the accused will have had direct experience of criminal law systems and been harmed by media coverage.
• Each case report relates to a single accused, including where the person has been through an initial trial and one or more appeals. Information relating to individual people is recorded as a single page entry, noting multiple media reports.
• Case numbers for each jurisdiction may not always tally with the number of case reports on our site. This is because media reports of known cases are not always available, and HJN’s case database generally does not include cases pre-2008.
• Personal identifiers (e.g., names, addresses or photographs) of accused have been removed wherever possible. That information is held in our internal database for research purposes.

Cases reports, including the number of known cases, should be considered illustrative of what is likely a more widespread, poorly documented use of criminal law against people living with HIV.

If you have information that can make the database more complete, or if you’re aware of an error, please let us know by using the contact us form.

To search for cases, please:

• Use the keyword search and/or drop-down menu in the search table

or

• Select a category and click on a country on the global overview map