Child sex ring bust in Western Cape
2011-10-19 10:03
Oudtshoorn - A sex ring involving young girls and policemen has been busted in Nelspoort, a town between Beaufort West and Three Sisters in the Western Cape.
Five girls aged between 12 and 15 were involved.
Six men, among them three policemen, have been arrested since Monday night. The other three men were contract workers who have been living and working temporarily in Nelspoort.
They will be charged with, amongst others, statutory rape, sexual abuse of underage girls and human trafficking.
Girl kidnapped in Free State
Two of the men were arrested on Monday night and another two - among them a policeman - were arrested on Tuesday night. The policeman was arrested at his home in the town. The other two policemen were arrested in Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn respectively.
A 12-year-old girl, presumably held as a sex slave, was found in two of the suspects’ room at a hostel in Nelspoort.
She was believed to have been kidnapped in the Free State.
Statements from the other four girls indicated that they had been sexually abused by police officials for some time.
“A mother who heard from one of the police officials’ wives that her daughter was sexually involved with the policeman, came to Molo Songololo for help,” said Una Wentzel of this child protection organisation.
Wentzel and members of the Beaufort West police station went to Nelspoort on Monday afternoon to investigate the allegations.
“A statement from the girl, whose mother came forward, revealed that more underaged girls were sexually abused by police officials. They invite the girls via MXit to the police station, after which they have sex with them in the charge office.”
Girl being shared by two men
Statements also revealed that three contract workers from Mkhulu who were working for Eskom, were using young girls as sex slaves. “Based on these statements, we raided a former care shelter where these workers were renting rooms. Two men were arrested.”
“We found a girl of about 12 in a room that was being shared by two men. She was in bed with one of the suspects,” said Wentzel.
“Another girl said she got R100 at the most for sex with another Mkhulu employee.”
Wentzel said all the girls had been placed in the care of their parents or foster parents. The 12-year-old was in a place of safety and would be returned to her parents or guardians.
The six suspects would appear on Thursday in the Beaufort West Magistrate’s Court.
Western Cape Minister of Social Development Albert Fritz said sexual offences like these were condemned in the strongest terms.
“Adults are supposed to stand up for our children.”