The Milnerton trio accused of trafficking women to the Western Cape and forcing them into a life of prostitution will finally hear their fate at the Western Cape High Court today, after months of delays.
The trial which commenced in November 2011, saw two Cameroonian cousins, Edward and Yannick Ayuk, being slapped with over 40 charges including rape, kidnapping, assault and running a brothel in Milnerton.
According to the state’s case the duo along with Edward’s wife, Leandre Williams, lured women from Springbok and East London to Cape Town under false pretences.
During the trial several of the women were transported from their hometowns to take the stand. They told the court of drug abuse, alleged beatings and the semantics of working on the streets of the Mother City.
Leandre also took the stand in her own defence and denied that the trafficking charge.
She admitted to being a sex worker but said many women in Springbok did so voluntarily.
She said in Springbok, they would go to a nightclub to work while in Cape Town, sex workers take to the street.
After extensive testimonies by the women, police officers and other officials, the defence lawyer for the cousins, Advocate Bash Sibda, successfully argued for the acquittal of Yannick on 27 of the charges, saying the state did not prove their case against him.
Judge Alma De Wet subsequently acquitted Edward of four counts of rape.
In their defence, the cousins claimed that a dirty cop who operated as a pimp in the area conspired with other police officers to have them arrested.
De Wet will delivered judgement in the matter today.
monique.duval@inl.co.za