February 12, 2010DARMSTADT, Germany (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) -- A member of Germany's leading female pop group has been charged with infecting a man with the AIDS virus through unprotected sex, prosecutors said Friday.
Nadja Benaissa, a 27-year-old singer with the group No Angels, was formally charged with causing grievous bodily harm, the prosecutor's office in the western city of Darmstadt said.
Benaissa is alleged to have had unprotected sex with several male partners between 2004 and 2006, although she was aware of her own infection with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
One of the men is now HIV-positive, possibly as a consequence of his sexual relations with the singer.
In addition to the grievous bodily harm charge, Benaissa was also charged with four counts of attempted grievous bodily harm.
No Angels are Germany's most successful girl band, with 5 million album sales in their first three years. The group was formed in 2000, when they won in the Popstars talent competition on German RTL television.
Benaissa was arrested in April 2009 shortly before she was to perform solo in a Frankfurt disco.
She spent 10 days in custody after the investigating judge decided there was a risk she would repeat the alleged offence.
If found guilty, Benaissa could face six months to ten years in prison.
The singer has one daughter, born in 1999.
No Angels performed Germany's entry to the 2008 Eurovision song contest, in which they came last.
Copyright 2010 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
