The Case of an HIV positive Kenyan who allegedly raped two Swedish women and infected them with HIV was mentioned in court on Friday to pave the way for the Kenyan to be held incommunicado as “investigations continue”.
No doubt, rape cases and indiscriminate spreading of the HIV virus are vices which should be condemned by all right thinking people in any society. .
For many Kenyans in Sweden, the case of this countryman (which has been playing itself in the Swedish media) is very disturbing while it also raises certain pertinent questions that require a sober examination with a view to understanding the sophisticated bias and implicit racism by the Swedish media especially when it comes to explosive and negative stories that could promote stereotypical perceptions of Africans in this country.
To begin with, the 35 year old Kenyan is still a suspect but he has already been found guilty by the media which has dubbed him “HIV mannen” (HIV man). This is a term which, within the context of the Swedish media, is specifically reserved for people who have spread the HIV virus on a “mass scale”.
Mhadi Tayeb, an HIV positive Iranian national who was one of the first ppeople to earn this title in 1998, allegedly had sexual contact with over 130 Swedish women. His identity (including his picture) was quickly published in the Swedish media because he was “a security threat” to the Swedish nation by virtue of the fact that he was still on the lose. He later fled to Iran where he was arrested after being on the run for five years. The Iranians refused to extradite him to Sweden.
“Hot Boy”, an HIV positive white British male who hooked over 130 Swedish girls out of which about ten have tested positive, may have been put in his right place by being referred to as “HIV mannen” by the Swedish media. He was arrested about two weeks ago. But what about the Kenyan?
According to an admission in court on Friday by the Kenyan suspect, he had sexual contact with the two Swedish women although he has denied raping or infecting them with HIV. On the strength of the two contacts, the question which has to be posed in why he is being referred to as “HIV mannen” in the Swedish media thereby giving the impression that he has been running around with countless Swedish women and infecting them with HIV.
WHO INFECTED WHO WITH HIV VIRUS?
To try and justify the image of a dangerous criminal who has been on the run, the police have been quoted in the media as saying that the Kenyan “might have infected many women”. So far, there has been no list of girls claiming to have had sexual intercourse with the Kenyan or who have undergone tests to establish their HIV status so why is this Kenyan being called “HIV mannen” without justification and why is the police suggesting that he might have infected many white girls without producing a shred of evidence?
According to police, the Kenyan allegedly infected a 14 year old Swedish girl with the virus. The point that is not being deepened enough by the Swedish media is that this infection allegedly took place two years ago in an alleged incident of rape. The terrible crime of raping a 14 year old white Swedish girl by the then 34 year old Kenyan was never reported to police and therefore it was never investigated. What was the parents of this fourteen year old doing and how comes there was no report?
Sexual exploitation of a 14 year old is a crime in Sweden and a repugnant act that is morally unacceptable. The Kenyan has admitted that he had sex with this girl. By implication, the Kenyan has admitted having committed a crime. For this crime to be proven, it must also be proven that the intercourse took place by force.
This is a task that might be difficult especially in a situation where the alleged crime took place two years ago but was never reported to police. For a rape case to stand, medical proof is key and this cannot be done when the crime was reported 24 months later. On the basis of a claim that a 14 year old white Swedish girl (now 16) was raped two years ago, a Kenyan is being held incommunicado. The crime is deemed too serious that even his blood brother and legal wife have been denied access to him. Is this the way justice works in this country?
According to Metro newspaper of 13th June 2007, the Kenyan also raped and infected a 57 year old with HIV. But, according to Dagens Nyheter 16th May 2007, the elderly woman is actually 58 years old. Once again, the crime was allegedly committed two years ago although the geezer never reported the terrible crime to police. It was in January this year when the old woman just walked into a police station and stated that the Kenyan raped her two years ago. What has she been doing and when did she test herself?
Even after the late report, police never took any action because “they were busy” with other more serious stuff. It was last Saturday when police walked into the Kenyan’s apartment and arrested him in front of his wife. The question is: Should readers just accept the facts as they are being presented in the media or should there be a second look at the circumstances?
Then we come to the hardest part which is difficult to delve into unless details of the case are also made available. For now, I will speculate from a safe distance. Who infected who with the virus and where is the proof?
“AFRICANS HAVE HIV” PROPAGANDA AT WORK
Most likely, the Kenyan must have tested positive before his arrest on Saturday. So far, there is no hard evidence that has been produced to prove that either of the Swedish sexual contacts did not infect the Kenyan with HIV. Assuming that he first had sex with the 14 year old at a time when the 14 year old had not been tested, where is the proof that the 14 year old did not have HIV when she spread out her legs to the Mkenya? There are people who have been walking around with the HIV virus for years without telling anybody so chances are there.
Two years is a long time when the 14 year old might have been running around with boys of all ages. Is there any way of establishing (beyond reasonable doubt) the number of boys the 14 year old has had sexual contacts with since she last distributed the goods to the Mkenya?
Given the “Africans have Aids” propaganda in the Swedish media, a rape case of a 14 year old white Swedish girl by an African could, under normal circumstances, have triggered an HIV test almost immediately to be followed by another test after six months because of the incubation period of the HIV virus. Since this did not happen, who will ever know if the minor contracted the virus six or eight months ago then remembered her quickie with the African before rushing to police to make her claims?
It is unfortunate that some African junkies within the blog community have already swallowed the Swedish media version of the story and are now payukaring uncritically from left, right and center. There are a myriad points that do not add up in this so called “HIV Mannen” story and it will be very interesting to see how the court handles it.
If the case sticks, Wakenya who have had relationships with white Swedish girls before dumping them might have reasons to worry. You might be preparing to go to work one morning only for police to knock on your door telling you that you are under arrest because you repeatedly raped a Swedish woman three years ago even if you never infected her with HIV.
In Sweden, rape cases are big business in terms of compensation and when the element of HIV infection is involved, only the alleged circumstances and medical reports dictate the price.
We are not trying to defend a crime here. From the perspective of KSB, the Swedish media reports have been unjustifiably biased against the Kenyan suspect and this is not new. KSB is following the case.
Okoth Osewe
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