Court rejects woman's bail plea in human trafficking case

GEORGE NEWS - The woman (34) from George who was arrested last year on charges of human trafficking and sexual offences, was denied bail in the George Magistrate's Court on Friday 9 February.

In her judgment, Magistrate Michelle Henderson said some of the charges the applicant faces are schedule six offences and the applicant failed to prove that there are exceptional circumstances to justify her release.

Her testimony, that she needs to supports her teenage son and family in KwaZulu-Natal, did also not justify exceptional circumstances as, according to the court, the accused has not been living in KZN since 2018 and only sees her son, who lives with family, occasionally.

The court also found inconsistencies in the applicant's testimony during cross examination.

The applicant earlier testified that she is self-employed as a sex worker earning between R10 000 and R12 000 per month.

During the bail judgement, Henderson said the state has a strong prima facie case against the accused and considers the applicant a flight risk and that she could try to evade her trial.

If found guilty, the accused could face life imprisonment and/or a massive fine of R100m.

The case was postponed for further investigation until 19 March.

The accused, who may not be identified at this stage due to the charges against her, was arrested by the Hawks in George on 16 December last year.

She faces 10 charges relating to human trafficking and sexual offences, after the Hawks found two Nigerian women, both aged 21, as well as two self-confessed sex workers from Zimbabwe and South Africa, at her apartment in the CBD, which she was allegedly running as a brothel.

Both the Nigerian women were allegedly lured to South Africa with promises of a career in the beauty industry.

According to a statement issued by the Hawks, the victims were given fake passports and documentation in Nigeria in order for them to travel to South Africa.

The two young victims had allegedly been trafficked from Nigeria inside a shipping container a few months before. They are now kept in a place of safety.

"Information was that the girls were advertised on an escort website and were kept in a residential complex in George," read the statement.

According to the investigating officer's testimony during the bail application, the young women told her their passports were confiscated the moment they set foot in South Africa after promises of employment in the beauty industry were made to them.

After they arrived in the country they were allegedly forced to become sex workers to repay the costs that had been incurred to get them to South Africa.

Due to alleged threats made on their lives and that of their families, they had no hope of going home, or even dared to report it to the police.

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