‘It ruined me’: Victims of ‘monster’ rapist who deliberately infected partners with HIV speak out
“All I can say is that it destroyed me. In that moment, my life as I knew it ended.”
These were the words of one victim as she described how her “relationship” with Adam Hall left her facing homophobic harassment at work and forcing her to “rewrite” her life after contracting HIV.
Hall was sentenced to at least 23 years in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of deliberately infecting a series of sexual partners with HIV and raping some of his victims.
The 43-year-old man, of Donvale Road, Washington, Tyne and Wear, was convicted in March of seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm and five counts of rape following a three-and-a-half month trial at the same court.
The men and boys he hunted ranged in age from their late 20s to 15 years old. The court heard how he would meet them in pubs in the Newcastle area or on the dating app Grindr without disclosing his HIV-positive status to them.
His victims did not know he had contracted the virus until they were tested and told the court of the life-shattering consequences of Hall’s actions when making victim impact statements.
One person, who was just 15 years old when he contracted HIV, described how he learned he had the virus in a phone call from healthcare professionals right after he got off the school bus.
“I had just gotten off the school bus and was walking home and my phone started ringing,” she said. “She was a sexual health nurse when I got it. She said my results were back and I was HIV positive.
“Everything was shattered, everything was numb. I was ashamed not only of this situation, but of myself. You know, how did this happen to me?”
“I felt like I was sinking; it was really devastating. I was angry. I couldn’t understand why someone would do this to hurt someone. I felt like my life had been taken away.”
Another said he was left a “broken man” because of the way Hall treated him. When she met the 43-year-old recently, she told how “vulnerable” she was after ending her relationship.
“The first time Hall raped me, I blamed myself,” she said, adding that her HIV diagnosis felt like a “death sentence.” “The first medication I took made my hair fall out. I changed my medications, but the side effects continued.”
He said daily living with the virus is “exhausting.” “Hall left me a broken man, just a shell of who I was; he robbed me for his own gain,” he continued. “I am a broken man. He changed me into who I am, right down to my core, and he did it all for his own gain.”
Another said he felt “very relieved” after Hall was convicted in March. “I broke down there. I was believed. It was so important that the jury believed me.”
“I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt so relieved.”
Others described the homophobic abuse and stigma they have suffered since their diagnosis.
“When I was first diagnosed with HIV, I couldn’t believe it. It was the last thing I expected and I assumed it would never happen to me,” one of them said.
“All I can say is that it destroyed me. At that moment, my life as I knew it ended.”
He added that “everything started to change” for him after he told management at work about his diagnosis.
“I faced a lot of stigma at work, including homophobic comments,” he explained. “People I’ve known for years have been calling me names, they all treated me differently because of HIV.”
Health officials are now urging people across the country who had sex with Adam Hall to get tested for HIV.
Detectives said Hall had traveled to see men she had met on dating app Grindr in the North East, including County Durham and Middlesbrough, as well as North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester and London.
Professor Alice Wiseman, Newcastle’s director of public health, urged people who had sex with Hall to access confidential health services in their local area.
“The earlier the diagnosis is made, the better the treatment. We want to eliminate HIV in the long term, and the way to do this is to treat those infected as soon as possible.”
“The earlier you are diagnosed, the sooner you can receive anti-retroviral therapy, and if your treatment is consistent, it can reduce your viral load so you no longer infect those around you.”
Daniel Fluskey, policy director at the National AIDS Trust, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hall’s sentence, particularly those who were victims of Adam Hall’s crimes and have suffered deeply traumatic experiences.
“The intention to infect any other person with HIV is completely condemned and such investigation is extremely rare.
“It is important to recognize that HIV has changed significantly in recent years; the vast majority of people living with HIV are on medication, cannot transmit the virus to others and have a normal life expectancy.
“We hope that in discussing this case, it will help improve understanding of HIV and not reinforce fear, stigma or discrimination. HIV is now a manageable condition and no one should fear testing for HIV and accessing treatment.”
