Sex trafficking hits High Court

Two Namibians and a South African facing multiple charges of human trafficking and rape related to minors at Swakopmund and Okahandja made brief appearances before the Windhoek High Court yesterday. Marthinus Pretorius (46), a South African national, was extradited from South Africa in December to face seven rape and six human trafficking charges. The first nine charges against Pretorius consist of four counts of trafficking in persons and five counts of rape of a 13-year-old girl in 2012. He faces two further charges of trafficking in persons and two counts of rape involving two minor girls at Swakopmund in 2012. Pretorius's alleged accomplice, Johanna Lukas, who recruited the girls at his request, was the first Namibian convicted of human trafficking in 2015. She was sentenced to an effective 13 years in prison.Pretorius, a former South African police officer and an employee at Rössing Uranium Mine near Arandis in 2012, is accused of having paid Lukas N$10 000 for recruiting the girls. The State was represented by prosecutor Feistas Shikerete and Messe Tjituri appeared for the defence. Judge Nate Ndauendapo postponed the case to 22 March. Pretorius will remain in custody at the Windhoek Central prison.Okahandja sex slaveryTuufilwa Ndawina Jonas (32) was charged with three counts of trafficking in persons, four counts of rape and one count of attempted rate for her alleged role in fraudulently recruiting a minor from Okahenge village in the Omusati Region in April 2012 with a false promise of a job.When the complainant arrived at Okahandja in May 2012, Jonas allegedly informed the girl that she had been recruited at the request of a man court documents named “John Puariune” and was forced to stay with him.The State is alleging that when the girl refused to have sex with Puariune, he demanded N$200 in payment for her transport to Okahandja.It is also alleged that the man asked Jonas to help him threaten and coerce the girl to consent to a sexual relationship. The girl allegedly stayed with the man for two months before Jonas collected her and forced to live with another man, and then a third man, all allegedly arranged by Jonas.The State further claimed that the minor was not Jonas's only sex-trafficking victim. Another woman, age unknown, “also fell for her scam and was assigned” to another man. This woman allegedly became pregnant. The matter was postponed to 21 February for a trial date to be set. The trial was allocated to Judge Naomi Shivute.Jonas was represented by Milton Engelbrecht. She remains in custody at the Klein Windhoek police station.Cigarettes for rapeThe case of Bertus Koch (40), who is charged with five counts of child trafficking and five counts of rape of five minor girls in the DRC settlement in Swakopmund, was postponed to 22 March 2018 for case management. Koch stands accused of raping and trafficking five girls in the DRC settlement at Swakopmund between November 2015 and May 2016.The girls were 9, 11, 12 and 13 years old. The State alleges that in November 2012, Koch invited the five girls to his shack and asked them to buy cigarettes for him.When they returned, he locked them in his shack and raped them each in succession.The State is arguing that Koch threatened to kill them if they did not comply and if they told anyone what had happened.It is alleged that Koch bribed the minors with food, payments of N$2.50 and N$3.00 and hairspray, “among other things.”He allegedly continued to assault the girls over a period of several months, until the matter came to the attention of the authorities in May 2016, when he was arrested.JANA-MARI SMITH

Sex trafficking hits High Court

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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Sex trafficking hits High Court

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-07

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