The use of medication to boost the sex drives of prostitutes was the hot topic at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday as a former sex slave told the court how she lost control of her body.
The 27-year-old woman, who may not be named, was testifying in the ongoing human trafficking trial against Springbok mom Leandre Williams, her husband Edward Ayuk and brother-in-law Yannick Ayuk.
The trio are facing over 40 charges for allegedly operating a brothel in Brooklyn, where they forced unsuspecting victims to use drugs and work as prostitutes.
The state witness, who admitted to willingly accompanying Edward to Cape Town, said she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol when she agreed to become a prostitute after an altercation with her family in Springs during 2017.
After shocking testimony on Tuesday, when she revealed harrowing working conditions, the woman’s story came under scrutiny by Advocate Mohamed Sibda, who is representing the brothers in the trial.
Sibda questioned the events which led up to her deciding to be a sex worker on 15 January 2017.
He asked whether she could actually recall that Edward was present when she could not even tell the court how many men she had sex with that day.
“My client says he was not there.
“You have stated that you had sex with about one to two men.
“Could there have been more men in the house?”
In response, the woman told the court she believed Edward had spiked her drinks with a drug that “made her warm”.
“I drank beer and wine, My Lady. We were in the lounge, that is when I became warm and started feeling snaakse feelings and started taking off my clothes and went to the back.
“I don’t know how many men I slept with on that day but Ayuk put something in my drink.”
The witness was questioned as to why she came to the Mother City to be with her boyfriend Kenny but never called him when she arrived.
She could not give clear reasons why she chose to stay at the brothel.
Proceedings were brought to an abrupt halt after Judge Alma De Wet issued a letter saying the witness needed urgent medical care.
The details of her condition are unknown.
monique.duval@inl.co.za