Radio NZ
May 22 2008; 08:29
Understanding HIV crucial to acquittal - lawyer
The lawyer who
successfully defended a Christchurch man accused of murdering his niece says
local clinicians did not have enough understanding of HIV.
Charlene Makaza
died in January last year. Her uncle, George Gwaze, was charged with her murder
and sexual violation. A jury on Wednesday cleared Mr Gwaze of the charges.
His lawyer,
Jonathon Eaton, said the case was unusual as the defence did not believe a
crime had been committed.
He said the
10-year-old-died of natural causes stemming from her HIV infection and was not
suffocated as the Crown contended.
Mr Eaton told
Morning Report a lack of local knowledge about HIV symptoms meant a South
African clinician's evidence was crucial, and local clinicians did not have
enough experience of an HIV strain out of Zimbabwe.
The not-guilty verdict
on Wednesday prompted a loud uproar from Mr Gwaze family. His wife, Sifiso Gwaze, collapsed on the floor as other family
members leapt up shouting: "Yes! God is good."
Mrs Gwaze says she
always knew her husband was innocent.
The jury delivered
its verdict after deliberating for 3½ hours.