THE relative of a 14-year-old girl, who was reported as kidnapped at Isnembe in Umhlali on January 5, was arrested by the Umhlali Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit on Monday morning.
According to a statement issued by the Provincial Police Commissioner's Office in KwaZulu-Natal, police deployed a search and rescue team to search for the girl, who was found walking with a 23-year-old undocumented foreign national along the Jabu Ngcobo Drive on Friday.
"The foreign national was also arrested. Police investigations uncovered that the relative opened a false case with the police because he knew of his child’s whereabouts and that she had left with the suspect voluntarily. It was also discovered that the girl did the same thing in December 2023 and the relative was aware of the matter.
"The 43-year-old relative has been charged with human trafficking, defeating the administration of justice, perjury as well as charges under the Finance Act for the wasteful usage of state resources.
"He will appear in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. On the other hand, the 23-year-old suspect has been charged with statutory rape as well as a charge of being in the country illegally."