Judge wants to see where the ‘sex work’ in Brooklyn sex trafficking trial occurred

A woman was trafficked from Springbok to the Ayuks’ Brooklyn house where the “sex for drugs” services were traded. File Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)

A woman was trafficked from Springbok to the Ayuks’ Brooklyn house where the “sex for drugs” services were traded. File Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jan 26, 2023

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Cape Town - The trial of sex trafficking trio Edward, 42, Leandre, 38, and Yannick Ayuk, 32, continued on Wednesday in the Western Cape High Court where another victim broke her silence after years in hiding.

The victim, who has two children with the State witness, Monday Daniels, spoke about how she assisted Leandre and others to get more clients.

The woman was trafficked from Springbok to the Ayuks’ Brooklyn house where the “sex for drugs” services were traded.

Acting Judge Alma de Wet said an inspection in loco – a visit to the Brooklyn house – would be conducted next Tuesday to jog the memory of the victim for an accurate description of the crimes.

The three are charged with 40 counts of rape, trafficking, kidnapping, debt bondage, drug dealing and assault.

It is alleged that they worked together to recruit a number of women for the purpose of sex work.

The women were allegedly manipulated by Leandra to leave their homes in Springbok in the Northern Cape under the pretext of finding jobs in Cape Town, while the brothers recruited from the Eastern Cape.

The woman said she and another victim were forced into assisting the Ayuks to lure men into their Brooklyn house.

Much like the other women, she said she came to Cape Town looking for “work” and would take the clients to the Ayuks’ house, where she spent only four days.

She testified that she and another victim would be asked to stand outside to get more clients, and once inside the house two henchmen, referred to as “Moola” and “Alex”, would make sure they wouldn’t leave until the client was satisfied.

When asked by State advocate Maria Marshall how much she was paid, she said R150, which would be used to give the Ayuks their R50 share for the use of the room, while the rest was used to pay for her dependence on “rocks”, also known as fentanyl.

Speaking of how she was used by the Ayuks, with another victim, she said, “she also got clients”.

“Sometimes in the room and sometimes in the quiet place.”

When asked by the prosecutor what the quiet place was, she said it was where she would be locked away from the outside, with the supervision of the henchmen, to finish the job of prostitution.

The trial continues.

rafieka.williams@inl.co.za

Cape Argus