Human trafficker back in court
The victim was allegedly picked up at the taxi rank by the suspect and taken to a house where she was welcomed by other girls
A man was arrested and is facing charges of human trafficking after a victim successfully escaped.
The suspect appeared in the Witbank Magistrate Court on Thursday June 6 on a charge of human trafficking after the suspect was arrested on the same day.
The 30-year-old victim made her way to eMalahleni and arrived on Wednesday May 29 after she was recruited by a known Lesotho-friend with a promise of an immediate job on her arrival.
The victim was allegedly picked up at the taxi rank by the suspect and taken to a house where she was welcomed by other girls.
She was then allegedly kept against her will, forced into drugs, raped multiple times and trained by the other girls before she was released to the streets to pose as a prostitute.
The suspect is expected to be back in court on Tuesday, June 18 for his formal bail application.
The bail was abandoned after the suspect produced fraudulent asylum seeker documents and additional charge for fraud was added.
The case is postponed to July 5 for further investigation.
The victim said that on May 31 while the suspect was out for shopping she escaped until she arrived in Witbank town where she was assisted by the community members who took her to the police station where the case was opened.
The case docket was transferred to the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit on June 6 from Witbank Detective Service and the suspect was arrested and taken to Court at the same day.
