The mom accused of trafficking women to Cape Town as sex slaves has admitted to prostituting herself to support her children.
Leandre Williams, 38, returned to the Western Cape High Court this week where she submitted a plea explanation about her involvement but denies trafficking women.
Leandre, from Springbok, along with her husband Edward Ayuk and brother-in-law Yannick, are accused of luring women under false pretences to Cape Town.
The trio face over 40 charges for allegedly operating a brothel in Milnerton where they allegedly forced unsuspecting victims to use drugs and work as prostitutes.
According to the indictment, Leandre is accused of recruiting three women from Springbok by promising them work in Cape Town.
It is also alleged that the brothers recruited three women from East London with the same promise.
The trio then allegedly forced the women to use drugs and work as prostitutes.
All six women managed to escape by either reaching out to their families or police for help, and the trio were arrested by the Hawks three years ago.
In her explanation, Leandre admits to selling her body but denies even knowing her brother-in-law.
She says she wed Edward in Malmesbury in 2008 but it started unravelling two years later.
Along with her two-year-old son, she moved to Delft where she ran a spaza shop and fell pregnant again.
After her daughter was born, Edward accused her of jolling, claiming the child was “too light (skinned)” and they split in 2012.
“I mostly worked as a domestic employee but I admit that I had sex with men for money.
“I consequently was prosecuted for prostitution, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment of which a period was suspended,” she stated.
“The extra money I earned by selling my body allowed my children and me to maintain a better life.
“No one forced me to do sexual favours for men...”
She said between 2014 and 2015, along with a friend, she rented a room in Bellville where she worked as a prostitute.
“Accused 1 [Edward] found out that I was in Bellville and arrived with the police.
“He told them that I am the mother of his children and the police then warned me that if they catch me exchanging sexual favours for money, they will lock me up.”
In the rest of the document, she denied forcing the women she brought to Cape Town to work as prostitutes.
The trial was postponed to 24 January.