By Kaya 959 Reporter
A 37-year-old man who preyed on unemployed women was handed down five life imprisonment terms in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court.
Nigerian national, Peter Akadoronge, was convicted of human trafficking, rape, and assault.
NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, says Akadoronge was arrested after the women escaped and reported the crimes to the police.
“In 2018, three women went looking for work when they were approached by three Nigerian men who offered them employment. One of the women suggested they go to a nearby club to speak about the offer,” Mjonondwane says.
The men bought the women alcohol and the women soon lost consciousness. When they came to, they found themselves in a room with two other women. The room they were in had no windows and they were told they were in Rosettenville.
During the trial, the women said the men told them they would be prostitutes. When the women argued against this, they were assaulted and ordered to take their clothes off.
“They further testified that they were raped as a way of teaching them their newly found job. After raping them, they were forced to take drugs on a daily basis whilst held captive. Different men were brought in to have sex with them and the men would pay the Nigerian captors. If the women refused, they were assaulted and deprived of food,” the NPA says.
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Women sent for counselling
Mjonondwane says over time, the men began to trust their victims and left them outside in the yard.
The women managed to escape and stopped a vehicle, which took them to the Moffat View police station. The women were examined and sent for counselling and treatment for drug addiction.
“Detective Armstrong Ndlala took them to Rosettenville in search of the suspects and they managed to point out Akadoronge, who was found standing next to a street light with eight other males. All men were arrested but later released, except for Akadoronge. He remained in custody until the finalisation of his case,” the NPA says.
State Advocate Colleen Ryan argued that Akadoronge came as a visitor in South Africa and chose to disregard the laws of this country. She further argued that he left his victims with both emotional and physical scars.
The court sentenced Akadoronge to five life terms plus five years. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in a life imprisonment term.
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