GEORGE NEWS - The second suspect who was arrested in connection with human trafficking of two young Nigerian women in George, abandoned her bail application in the George Magistrate's Court earlier this month.
The victims, both in their 20s, were rescued from an apartment in the CBD last year after they were allegedly smuggled into the country in a shipping container.
The second suspect, a 33-year-old woman, was arrested in Strand, Cape Town in March.
She was in possession of two passports, various bank cards and R29 000 in cash.
The first suspect, a 34-year-old woman from George, was arrested last year on charges of human trafficking and sexual offences. She was denied bail in February. Both suspects also face charges of sexual offences.
If found guilty, the accused could face life imprisonment and/or a fine of R100m.
The victims were found in an apartment which was allegedly run as a brothel, along with two self-confessed sex workers from Zimbabwe and South Africa.
The young women were lured to South Africa with promises of a career in the beauty industry and allegedly given fake passports and documentation in Nigeria in order for them to travel to South Africa.
Their passports were however confiscated when they arrived in the country and they were forced to become sex workers.
The case was postponed until 10 June for further investigation. The identities of the suspects can not be published due to the sexual offences charges against them.
Shocking statistics
The reality of human trafficking is that it does exist in George.
Every five hours a child goes missing in South Africa and currently there are between 155 000 and 300 000 people enslaved in South Africa alone.
Some 23% of global trafficking takes place in Africa with the DRC and Libya having the highest number of victims. Most of these victims are children between the ages of 12 and 16 that are recruited as soldiers, or sold for prostitution or forced labour.
SA a hotspot for traffickers
South Africa remains a key source, transit, and destination for trafficked people.
The total recorded number of trafficking in the country is weakened by poor record keeping, the inaccessibility of official data, and the still outstanding integrated information system required to collate and analyse information.
Between December 2007 and January 2022, an estimated 11 077 human trafficking cases countrywide were reported to the police.
Only 44 were successfully prosecuted and the majority of these (36) were sex trafficking cases. Only 77 traffickers were convicted - 39 were men and 38 women. Fifty of them were South African.
Girls as young as 10 years old become victims of sex trafficking, while some well-known brothels that have been identified as locations of sex trafficking, continue to operate.
Indicators
While not an exhaustive list, these are some key red flags that could alert you to a potential trafficking situation that should be reported.
Living with employer
Poor living conditions
Multiple people in cramped space
Inability to speak to individual alone
Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
Employer is holding identity documents
Signs of physical abuse
Submissive or fearful
Unpaid or paid very little
Under 18 and in prostitution
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