Woman with Covid convicted of homicide for fatally infecting neighbor

An Austrian woman was found guilty of lethally infecting her neighboring patient with COVID-19 in 2021. It was her second conviction tied to the pandemic in a year, according to local media outlets. The judge handling the case, sentenced the woman "to four months' suspended imprisonment and an 800-euro fine ($886.75) for grossly negligent homicide," according to East Bay Times.

The victim was a cancer patient who died of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, according to Austrian news agency APA. DNA evidence from a virological report matched both the deceased cancer patient and the 54-year-old defendant, proving that she 100% transmitted the virus.

Although the judge delivered the sentence on Thursday, The Associated Press reported that the verdict is not yet final. The identities of both the victim and the defendant remain undisclosed, per Austrian privacy regulations.

According to APA, the woman was convicted of a COVID-related offense last summer. She received a three-month suspended prison sentence for deliberately endangering others through communicable diseases. However, at that time, she was acquitted of the charge of grossly negligent homicide.