A Cape Town woman, who was convicted of s.e.x trafficking a 14-year-old girl and selling her to foreigners to work as a pr0stitute, will spend the next 15 years behind bars after being sentenced last week.
Verona Kennedy, 27, was sentenced at the Cape Town Regional Court on Friday after she was busted by the Hawks in 2015 while her co-accused fled the country.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Verona Kennedy recruited a 14-year-old victim, who was later kidnapped and traded to a foreign national, in 2013. The victim testified during Kennedy’s trial.
“During 2013 the victim, who was living in George during the time of her kidnapping, was recruited by Kennedy and traded to a foreign national named Christopher Chichoke,” said Hani.
“Chichoke is reported to have given her drugs and forced her to work as a s.e.x worker for him.
“The victim managed to escape one night and ran to the nearest police station where she registered a criminal case.
“Both accused were then arrested in 2015 and later released on bail of R5,000 and R1,000 respectively. Chichoke has since fled the country and has been circulated as a wanted person.”
Kennedy was rearrested in 2018 and she has been in custody since. “[She] will serve 15 years’ direct imprisonment and additionally she was declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Hani.
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