Austrian convicted of intentionally infecting ex-wife with COVID-19

A man in Austria has been convicted of intentionally infecting his ex-wife with the coronavirus by coughing at her.

A spokesman for the Linz regional court said on Tuesday that the 63-year-old was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for three years.

Judges had convicted the man Monday of attempted serious bodily harm for giving the victim COVID-19 while they were still living in the same house pending the finalisation of their divorce last November.

The defendant, whose name wasn’t released for privacy reasons, had coughed at the 70-year-old woman after learning that he had tested positive for COVID-19, court spokesman Walter Eichinger said.

The defendant was also convicted of threatening the victim and lesser bodily harm for grabbing her throat and urging her to leave their shared house.

He was ordered to pay 1,000 euros (about $1,220) in damages to his ex-wife, who has since recovered from her COVID-19 infection.

Neither the defendant nor prosecutors planned to appeal the sentence.

Agence France-Presse