Gauteng Mother on Trial: Shocking Admissions in Child Trafficking Case
Johannesburg, South Africa ‒ A Gauteng mother, whose identity is being withheld to protect her minor daughters, is currently facing a litany of charges in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, including rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, child abuse, and the creation of child pornography. The 38-year-old woman stands accused of prostituting her
two young daughters and, in a particularly disturbing revelation, allegedly selling one of them to a lawyer.
In a trial that has gripped the nation, the mother has pleaded not guilty to the 72 charges against her. However, during her testimony, she made startling admissions, including that she had facilitated her then-13-year-old daughter's entry into the sex trade. She also confessed to living off the earnings derived from her daughters' involvement in sex work.
A Disturbing Normalisation of Exploitation
Testifying in court, the accused painted a grim picture of her family's circumstances, describing an environment where sex work became normalised. She claimed to feel no shame in using the profession as a means to provide for her children. Clutching a Bible, which she asserted her eldest daughter had requested after her arrest, the mother detailed
how she advertised on adult websites and arranged client bookings.
Disturbingly, she admitted that she and her eldest daughter sometimes accepted appointments together as a “mother-and-daughter” package when business was slow. She also acknowledged selling videos of the minor to clients for R300, referring to them as “sexualised material.”
Conflicting Narratives and Financial Motives
The mother’s defence hinges on her claim of not understanding the law, stating she herself began sex work at the age of 13. She further argued that after being evicted by a boyfriend, her family became homeless, prompting her eldest daughter to volunteer for sex work to ensure their survival. She maintained that the teenager had joined the industry of
her own accord, actively seeking her own clients and advertisements, and behaving “more like an adult than a child.”
However, this narrative starkly contradicts earlier testimony from the eldest daughter. The minor previously testified that her mother coerced her into sex work through threats of violence and by withholding contact with her siblings. The daughter also alleged that her mother kept the client payments to fund a drug habit. While the accused admitted to sending angry WhatsApp messages containing threats, she denied physically threatening the child and insisted the money was spent on essential needs like food, rent, and clothing. She also refuted the assertion that her daughter had been raped by every client at the guesthouses where they operated, denying that all encounters were non-consensual.
When questioned about the sheer volume of clients, the mother conceded that her daughter had encountered multiple men, explaining that bookings were managed through a single work phone used by regulars. She confirmed that at least one joint booking occurred after her daughter was already active in the trade.
Further revelations included the mother’s admission to making a booking for her 11-year- old daughter for R18,000. It also emerged during the trial that the mother gave R30,000 to TikTok creators, a detail that has raised eyebrows given the severe allegations she faces.
Lawyer Carel Schoeman’s Involvement
The trial also implicates Carel Schoeman, a 35-year-old attorney accused of buying and repeatedly raping the eldest daughter. Schoeman faces 26 charges, including rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual exploitation of children, and child abuse. He had attempted to have the case against him dismissed before the mother even took the stand, filing a
discharge application under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
His legal team argued that the State had failed to provide sufficient proof for certain charges, that other charges lacked objective evidence, and that Schoeman genuinely believed the child’s age was 19, thus unaware his actions were unlawful. However, Judge Rian Strydom rejected the application, stating that sufficient evidence existed that could
reasonably lead to a conviction. The judge emphasised that Schoeman’s personal mindset or belief about the child’s age must be substantiated by evidence presented in court, not merely claimed.
In his plea explanation, Schoeman admitted to arranging bookings with the child but asserted that she appeared on an adult website as a 19-year-old woman, and he had no reason to suspect she was younger than the age listed on her profile.
The Indictment: A Web of Exploitation
According to court papers, the mother allegedly forced her firstborn daughter on a daily basis to engage in sexual acts with various unknown men at guesthouses across Gauteng, the Free State, and KwaZulu-Natal, including Boksburg, Brakpan, Heidelberg, Springs, Villiers, Amanzimtoti, and Ramsgate. She is accused of advertising her daughter's services
on internet sites such as Sex Trader and Red Velvet. At the time, her firstborn daughter was 12, nearing her 13th birthday. The mother allegedly arranged for sexually suggestive and explicit photos and videos to be recorded and used them to advertise her daughter's services.
The state alleges that the daughter sometimes had to participate with the mother in sexual activities with the same client simultaneously. The indictment reads: “Bookings weremade 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].” It further states that the daughter “was also forced to have double bookings” with clients alongside her younger sister, who was then 11-12 years old. “Naked images and videos of the complainant were also sold by accused one [mother] to several unknown clients. The accused instructed [her firstborn daughter] to masturbate while recording and taking photographs of her.” The indictment also details that “When the victim refused to participate in the sexual acts, [the mother] would assault and verbally abuse her.”
Regarding Schoeman, the indictment states that in September 2022, he made his first booking with the mother to have sexual intercourse with the firstborn daughter. He allegedly made several subsequent bookings. In December 2022, he reportedly approached the mother to buy the victim for R160,000, making a down payment of R24,000 and
providing a vehicle for the mother’s use.
The indictment claims that during December 2022, the victim was forcefully placed in a vehicle to go with Schoeman and was moved between guesthouses and a flat where he had sexual intercourse with her daily. When she refused, he allegedly threatened her with a firearm. She was also reportedly kept in a locked room without food, water, or a cellphone, and forced to clean his office. Schoemanallegedly purchased multiple vibrators for use on the victim and recorded himself having sex with her. Both the mother and Schoeman face over 90 combined charges, with the trial continuing as
the court meticulously evaluates the extensive evidence and conflicting testimonies.
