Exploitation of Olena Popik Continues

Olena Popik might be dead, but she is still being exploited. This time not by pimps but by media that use her tragedy as a way to create hysteria and profit from HIV-panicked public. But some other characters seem to exploit this tragedy – those who use epidemic as a convenient weapon of character assassination.

After the death of Olena Popik city of Split was struck by panic and local medical authorities reported increased number of people coming to test for HIV. News came about 5 new cases of HIV, although none of them was related to Olena Popik. Then some media reported about some of those HIV-positive people deliberately spreading the disease.

The last to contribute to this media hysteria was Nacional weekly. They published an article about D.D., 40-year bar owner who allegedly infected three people with HIV, including his wife. According to the article, one of the infected was his 21-year mistress who later died.

Almost immediately D.D. came forward with the interview to Večernji list (Vecernji list) and revealed himself as Denis Dragun, owner of Luxor Caffe in Split. He denied having HIV and blamed the whole brouhaha on City of Split authorities with whom he had years-long financial disputes.