It wouldn't happen anywhere else, but three days after Philippe Padieu was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being found guilty of six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after having unprotected sex without first disclosing his HIV status with six women who subsequently tested HIV-positive, he gave a TV interview to CBS 11 News.
In it, he essentially repeats the same accusations of bias and lack of evidence that he made in court prior to be sentenced.
I thought the trial was just public opinion turned against me. It wasn't a fair trial at all... The reason I'm serving 45 years is because I had an ineffective counsel. I had no money...However, seeing him say these things in the flesh makes me appreciate that he has a point. In particular, since Texas has no HIV-specific law, the bar is set much higher in proving that he actually infected the six women with HIV. Although phylogenetic analysis linked his strain of HIV with the six women's, that is not enough to prove the direction of transmission, and - notably - the timing.
He noted that all six women had multiple partners, and that he had sex with three of them before he tested positive (which means he could have infected these women before knowing his status, which definitely would not be a crime).
I think it was an injustice. You couldn't say anything about these woman in court. You couldn't bring up their past sexual history.
However, some of his other allegations are more difficult to swallow, including saying that the six women were "very vindictive."
You could blame them because they failed to take responsibility. They lied. They were involved in a conspiracy. They formed a hate group. I believe they should step up to the plate. They are just as responsible as I am...There's rage. There's vengeance. Admitting knowledge is not admitting responsibility. Hate and anger is fear and guilt in disguise.
Mr Padieu will now appeal and is looking for a new lawyer.
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