News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Dozens of young women in a town have been forced to take an HIV test after discovering that the local Lothario had been suffering from Aids.

Some of the women only found out that former lover Daniel Decu, 24, had the virus when they attended his funeral, leading to angry scenes.

In total 40 women have applied to have the test done and are now nervously awaiting the results.

Although Mr Decu was registered as living with the condition, it only became known to the public when an autopsy was carried out and a coroner's report published.

A local doctor in the town of Segarcea, in south-eastern Romania's Dolj County, tried to warn people he was suffering from the disease.

However, it has been claimed that he was threatened with a lawsuit by the man's mother.

Doctor Cornel Stanciu, their family physician, knew that Mr Decu was HIV positive and tried to make his health condition public after the 24-year-old had a relationship with his daughter.

(Image: CEN)

But when the Mr Decu's mother found out what the doctor was doing, she allegedly threatened to sue him unless it stopped.

The doctor said: "I knew he had a lot of female friends but there was nothing I could do about it."

Some of the women had found out before the funeral that he had been living with AIDS, and at least two of them have so far been confirmed as HIV-positive.

Although it is impossible to take any action against the dead man, his mother and family are being investigated as well as others who knew about his condition.

Aids remains the only disease specifically mentioned in a Romanian criminal law, where it says the transmission of the virus by a person who already knows he or she is infected can be punishable with a jail term of between five and 15 years.

However the law specifies that there is no need to inform a physical partner of the infection, but there is an obligation to practice safe sex.

Social media pictures show Mr Decu with a string of girls on his arm.

Doctor Stanciu said: "I'm not surprised that we now are in the position that we are, because he had many female friends."