Global AIDS - India

HIV Woman Stoned to Death in India - Media Release - July, 2003

The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated, a Melbourne-based AIDS care charity and agency of Catholic Social Services Victoria, has expressed its outrage to the President of India over the reported stoning to death of an HIV-infected widow in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, whose husband had died of AIDS.

The President of The Australian AIDS Fund, Melbourne journalist Brian Haill, said that agencies in India had reported the killing of the woman on July 4, but that the media had confined itself to the barest of details.

An HIV/AIDS awareness group known as WINS (Women's Initiatives) had reported that the woman was stoned to death by neighbours who feared they'd get AIDS from her.

Although essentially ignored by the mainstream media, a local newspaper (Praja Shakthi) reported that the widow, known as Ponnamma was aged about 30.

Driven from her home following her husband's death, she was left to live in the open. On July 4, she was reportedly seized from her park bench, chased, stoned, battered with the bench and burnt.

The Australian AIDS Fund has cabled the President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam, expressing its horror and revulsion and demanding he condemn the killing.

It has also registered its condemnation with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh State. India, with over 4 million people infected with HIV, is set to become the next epicentre of the pandemic after Africa.