A court case in Johannesburg has been delayed because an Afrikaans interpreter was unavailable.
The case involves a 38-year-old mother accused of forcing her young daughters into prostitution, and a 35-year-old lawyer who allegedly bought and abused one of the girls.
The mother, who cannot be named to protect her daughters’ identities, allegedly made her oldest daughter, who was 12 at the time, engage in sexual activities with multiple clients daily across various South African towns.
The indictment states: “Bookings were made for plus minus nine to 10 clients a day. Accused one [the mother] retained all the money that the clients would pay in exchange to have sexual intercourse with [the daughter].”
According to court documents, the mother advertised her daughter’s services online and took explicit photos and videos.
The indictment notes: “When the victim refused to participate in the sexual acts, [the mother] would assault and verbally abuse her.”
The lawyer, who can only be named after entering a plea, allegedly paid R24,000 and gave a vehicle as partial payment for “purchasing” the older daughter for R160,000 in December 2022.
Court papers state: “During the day, the victim would be kept in a locked room without any food, water or a cellphone. On occasion, the victim was forced to clean the office of accused two.”
The mother is also accused of exploiting her younger daughter, who was 11 or 12 years old.
Both defendants face multiple charges, including human trafficking, rape, and creating child pornography.
The trial is set to continue with the reading of the indictment.
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