In 2018 Daryll Rowe hit the news headlines as the first person in the United Kingdom to be jailed for deliberately infecting men with HIV. It is an extraordinary case but at the time the media attention was all on Daryll Rowe himself, but this powerful documentary focuses on the victims Rowe had abused, giving them an opportunity to tell their shocking accounts of what happened.
The men featured in this film have all waived their anonymity in order to speak publicly for the first time with regards to the trauma they have suffered. They all have been left with a burning question: Why did he do it?
Once arrested it became clear that Rowe has set out on a dangerous, nationwide campaign to trick men into having unprotected sex with him. We hear first-hand how he would lie about his HIV status, sabotage condoms and later send abusive text messages taunting them with the virus: ‘You have HIV. Lol.’
In Canada, deliberately not revealing you have HIV to your sexual partner was decriminalized decades ago. Even if the partner asked. Sad but true.
What a tragic case! I feel so bad for the men on the film, + the others, who were his victims. Men having bareback sex with strangers is like shooting, what may be, a lethal dose of heroine. Once it’s done it only takes seconds but it can be lethal. I think Darryl’s actions boil down to him dealing with his fear, anger, + regret at someone infecting him. He feels powerless but feels powerful infecting others + knowing they are suffering too. It’s like he’s getting even. A sick way of thinking.
Psycopath. The glib way he just tried to justify his actions due to his own feelings to the interviewer – then jumped to cheerfully chatting to his mum. He’s damaged and dangerous. My feelings go out to his victims who had the strength to appear on screen and his poor family who tried to give a nice life to a monster. He’ll never not be dangerous, I hope he never gets the chance to prey on anyone again.
Evil freak!