Australia deporting convicted HIV spreader back to Zimbabwe

By Des Houghton | The Courier-Mail |

An acrobat who had unprotected sex with at least 12 Australian women knowing he had HIV was detained last night and faces deportation to his native Zimbabwe.

Godfrey Zaburoni, 38, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm, in a case that went all the way to the High Court.

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He was originally charged and convicted in the District Court in 2013 of grievous bodily harm by intentionally transmitting a serious bodily disease.

That charge was upheld by the Appeal Court but later overturned by the High Court and a lesser grievous bodily harm charge recorded.

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said: “I can confirm that this person’s visa has been cancelled and he has been taken into immigration detention.”

He said Zaburoni failed the character test under section 501 of the Migration Act.

Zaburoni’s location was not disclosed.

A police investigation began in 2007 when his Gold Coast lover became ill and went to police.

In an emergency public ­appeal in 2010, Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young urged women who had unprotected sex with Zaburoni to come forward.

“We’re aware this gentleman has HIV and we understand he’s had unprotected sex with quite a number of women across the country, so I’m here today to ask any women who have had unprotected sex with this man to come forward and be tested,” she said.

Dr Young said Zaburoni had given Queensland Health the names of 12 women with whom he had unprotected sex. Seven of them were from Queensland, she said.