The South African Police “Hawks” have rescued 26 girls and women from a
brothel in Klerksdorp in the early hours of Friday morning, the youngest
being a 14-year-old.
The females were aged between 14 and
37.
The Hawks were acting on a tip-off and found 19 men on the premises
which have since been detained by police for questioning, one of them being
a Nigerian national.
According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso, a case of
human trafficking is being suspected.
“We have conducted interviews with these ladies and we don’t know what
they are alleging is what they have been told to say,” said Rikhotso.
“Currently as we have been doing the interviews, the ladies are saying that
they came on their free will and they're basically working there and
earning their living but then with cases of human trafficking, the girls are
told what to say."
“We can’t rule of human trafficking at this stage.”
Rikhotso said that the men who have been taken in by authorities have
not been arrested and charged yet.
Rikhotso said that the men who have been taken in by authorities have
not been arrested and charged yet.
The tip-off that the Hawks received claimed that the women were being
housed by Nigerian nationals, however the detained Nigerian claims to be a
client and not the owner of the establishment and the women.
Upon swooping on the premises, none of the people tried to flee or put up
a struggle with authorities.
“There was no struggle, no one tried to run away or anything, everyone
co-operated,” said Rikhotso.
“The ladies were willing to assist, they engaged us and giving us
information about where they come from and why they are here.
The Hawks informed that they will try to reunite the women with their
families.
Some of the women are locals from the area while others are said to be
from the Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Johannesburg.
“Luckily some of them are from around so we will be able to try and take
them to their home,” said Rikhotso.
“As far as the other ones from far away, we will just have to try and
put them where they are safe for now and then send them home.”Source:ECNA
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