Two in dock for keeping teens as 'sex slaves'

File picture: Independent Media

File picture: Independent Media

Published May 22, 2017

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Johannesburg – A 42-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl are on Monday expected to appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on charges of human trafficking, after five teenage girls were rescued at a house in Springs, Ekurhuleni.

Police received a tip-off about young girls kept at the premises and launched a raid on Friday. The man is believed to be part of a human trafficking ring, said spokesperson Thivhulawi Tshilate.

“He was found in possession of drugs. Pornography material was also found during the search. It is believed that the teenage girl recruited the young girls for the syndicate,” said Tshilate. The accused man is a foreign national.

The five girls found at the house were aged between 14 and 17, with oldest being 19.

Gauteng Social Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza welcomed the arrest and added that the rescued girls were now in the care of her department.

“This development is a welcome contribution in our fight against human trafficking. It has become one of the biggest organised crimes in the world,” Mayathula Khoza said in a statement.

“Its effects have been felt across the globe as it is one of the hardest crimes to detect and prevent. Trafficking of children especially girls has grown immensely."

“This growth has been linked to several social issues, two of which are unemployment and poverty, hence most of the alleged victims are people who come from underprivileged homes.”

She said the provincial government has established an anti-trafficking task team consisting of the departments such community safety, social development, health, education the SA Police Services (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

African News Agency

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