Australia to deport man for infecting women with HIV

An African acrobat accused of having unprotected sex with several Aussie women while being infected with HIV has had his Australian permanent residency cancelled and faces deportation.

Peter Dutton, Spokesman for Australian Immigration Minister, said that 38-year-old Godfrey Zaburoni had failed the character test under section 501 of the Migration Act.

He said as a result of this he is currently awaiting deportation to his native country, Zimbabwe.

Dutton said that Zaburoni who arrived in Australia in 1997 was accused of having unprotected sex with at least 12 Australian women, between 2007 to 2008 including with his Gold Coast ex-girlfriend of two years, without informing them of his medical condition.

The spokesman said that it was earlier reported that Zaburoni was diagnosed with the disease in 1998 while touring with a circus in Adelaide.

He said that Zaburoni, a former Australia Got Talent participant was originally sentenced to a nine-and-a-half year’s jail term in 2013 by the Southport District court after becoming the second person in Queensland to be convicted of intentionally infecting someone with HIV.

Dutton, however, said that in April the High Court overturned Zaburoni’s sentencing after finding no evidence that he had intended to infect his girlfriend deliberately with the virus.

He said that Zaburoni was then re-sentenced on a lesser charge, a five-year suspended sentence and had been released from prison with expectations that he would face deportation soon.

Meanwhile, a source said without specifying that Zaburoni has been detained by immigration officials on Thursday night and would face deportation to Zimbabwe soon.

NAN