Human trafficking trial postponed
The trial of a woman accused of trafficking a child for sexual exploitation at Okahandja has been put on hold until August this year.
The trial was on Wednesday postponed to 14 August in order to afford the prosecution time to obtain statements from two crucial state witnesses whose locations were only provided to the police investigating team last week.
This was revealed by the prosecution's representative, Felistas Shikerete-Vendura, on Wednesday when she asked High Court Judge Naomi Shivute for a postponement of the trial.
The accused, Tuufilwa Ndawina Jonas (32), has denied the allegation that she had lured a girl, who was 15 years old at the time, from Okahenge village in the Omusati Region to Okahandja in 2017 with empty promises of employment.
The state alleges that Jonas, along with a certain John Puariune, forced the girl to move in with them and that Jonas forced her to engage in sexual intercourse with Puariune on several occasions as payment for the N$200 fee for the bus from northern Namibia to Okahandja.
The state further alleges that after two months, Jonas took the girl to another house but she refused to stay there and was taken to a third man to live with.
She did so because she had no other choice, the state alleges.
Furthermore, the state alleges that the girl was not just a victim of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, but was also impregnated during the ordeal.
Jonas remains in custody at the Klein Windhoek police station holding cells until the resumption of the trial on 14 August.
Government-funded defence lawyer Milton Engelbrecht is defending Jonas.
NAMPA
The trial was on Wednesday postponed to 14 August in order to afford the prosecution time to obtain statements from two crucial state witnesses whose locations were only provided to the police investigating team last week.
This was revealed by the prosecution's representative, Felistas Shikerete-Vendura, on Wednesday when she asked High Court Judge Naomi Shivute for a postponement of the trial.
The accused, Tuufilwa Ndawina Jonas (32), has denied the allegation that she had lured a girl, who was 15 years old at the time, from Okahenge village in the Omusati Region to Okahandja in 2017 with empty promises of employment.
The state alleges that Jonas, along with a certain John Puariune, forced the girl to move in with them and that Jonas forced her to engage in sexual intercourse with Puariune on several occasions as payment for the N$200 fee for the bus from northern Namibia to Okahandja.
The state further alleges that after two months, Jonas took the girl to another house but she refused to stay there and was taken to a third man to live with.
She did so because she had no other choice, the state alleges.
Furthermore, the state alleges that the girl was not just a victim of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, but was also impregnated during the ordeal.
Jonas remains in custody at the Klein Windhoek police station holding cells until the resumption of the trial on 14 August.
Government-funded defence lawyer Milton Engelbrecht is defending Jonas.
NAMPA
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