Constable Dominic Morey, Constable Bryce Parsons and First Class Constable Reece Neville. Source: News Limited
THUGS who bite or spit on police will have a mandatory blood test to save officers months of anguish waiting for their own test results to come back.
Today The Sunday Times reveals for the first time shocking details of police officers who faced the nightmare of being spat on, bitten or pricked with needles and then told by the perpetrators: "You're going to die from AIDS."
A WA Police Union report details 66 cases of officers being subjected to spitting, biting or stabbing with syringes while on duty between 2000 and February this year, including the testimony of one who could not kiss his fiancee before their wedding because of AIDS fears.
That officer said after a confrontation with a female offender that left him with blood and spit on his face: "She yelled obscene abuse at me, and then laughed stating that I now had AIDS.
"(My fiancee) said all she wanted to do was kiss me. I told her I couldn't risk giving her anything. She suddenly broke down into tears again and collapsed on the floor. She asked what we would do about the wedding."
The new blood-test laws will be introduced into the WA Parliament within days.
The legislation means those who expose police officers to potential blood-borne viruses must undergo a blood test immediately – instead of the current system in which officers are tested and often wait up to six months for the results.
"This is about protecting our hardworking police officers who put themselves on the front line to protect us," Police Minister Liza Harvey said.
The police union report contains other heartbreaking feedback from officers and the impact the possibility of blood-borne diseases have had on their lives and family.
Among them is an experienced officer who was told he had hepatitis C after being gouged in the arm by an intoxicated woman during an arrest.
"I was shocked and devastated," the officer said. "Not so much for myself, but the devastating reality that I may have infected my family unknowingly."
WA Police Union president George Tilbury said the report highlighted how much the new laws were needed.
"Our officers should not have to put up with such a devastating quality of life for six months when a simple blood test – and a result within days – will reduce stress and allay their fears," Mr Tilbury said.
"The mandatory blood-testing legislation will make a world of difference not only to our members but also to their families and friends."
Among the officers who have endured months of blood tests after potentially being exposed to deadly viruses are First Class Constable Reece Neville, Constable Dominic Morey and Constable Bryce Parsons.
All three said they were relieved the laws would soon be put before Parliament.
First Class Constable Neville is still waiting for his final test results after being exposed to an offender's blood during an arrest in Cannington in February.
"This legislation will take a massive weight off our shoulders," he said. "It's the right thing to do."
CASES detailed in the 32-page report given to The Sunday Times by the WA Police Union include:
BLOOD spat on the face of a policeman by a man at Royal Perth Hospital in 2004: "The fear I carried with me in those months when there was a possibility I could have hep C was horrible and I would never want a colleague to have to go through that."
A FATHER with several children was bitten on the leg by a man during an arrest: "My children were astounded that, firstly, any person would consider doing that and, secondly, that it could result in me being exposed to a disease that could have serious consequences to my health. I regularly think about how this will affect my life."
STRESS on an officer spat on in 2012: "I had to wait months while I underwent blood tests to make sure I hadn't contracted anything. which was severely stressful, I was extremely withdrawn and it affected my home life to a great extent."
STABBED with a screwdriver and exposed to the attacker's blood, a policeman says later: "We had family members travel from the United Kingdom to attend the wedding. As is customary my family members expected at least a kiss on the cheek from me on their arrival from overseas. I had to pull myself away from them, which was embarrassing for me and I am sure was the same for them. This situation made me very self-conscious and turned what should have been a very happy time for me into an awkward and difficult time. I will never get that time back again."
SPAT on twice during an arrest in 2011: "I felt incredible anger over what happened and became nervous when attending tasks as I feared a repeat incident. My relationship was put under huge strain ... we were still together at the end of the six months but our relationship ended shortly afterwards with my then-partner citing this incident as one of the reasons."
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