Carel Schoeman, 35, an attorney from Heidelberg who is accused of purchasing a 13-year-old girl, regularly raping her while treating her as a sex slave, appeared in the Gauteng High Court on Wednesday, October 30.
He pleaded not guilty to the horrific accusations brought against him.
The girl’s mother, 38, whose identity cannot be revealed to protect the victim, allegedly sold the child to Schoeman, according to the charge sheet against her.
She faces 72 counts, including kidnapping, nine of sexually exploiting children, human trafficking, nine of rape, kidnapping, child abuse, and the creation of child pornographic content.
She also allegedly put out advertisements of the 13-year-old on pornographic websites where Schoeman allegedly gained access to the young girl.
“An amount of R160,000 was agreed upon. Accused two made a down payment of R24,000 to accused one and handed her a motor vehicle,” read the charge sheet.
Schoeman has been charged with 26 counts, including four allegations of rape, child exploitation, human trafficking, abduction, child abuse, and utilising the services of trafficked victims.
Founder of Women For Change, Sabrina Walter said the allegations against Schoeman are disturbing and are a reminder of the severe nature of child trafficking and abuse in the country.
“That an attorney is accused of purchasing a young girl and subjecting her to sexual slavery is horrific on its own - but knowing that her mother allegedly played a role in these crimes against her daughter makes this case even more tragic and unbearable,” she said.
Walter went on to say that the participation of a parent, who is responsible for a child’s protection and care, underlines the horrifying reality of how deeply rooted gender-based violence (GBV), trafficking, and exploitation are in society.
She emphasised that GBV cases, particularly those involving children, require a robust reaction, ensuring that persons who are found guilty suffer the full repercussions of their conduct.
Every second this past year, three girls and two boys have experienced child sexual violence, said Together for Girls, a global partnership working to end violence against children and adolescents.
“In the past 12 months, 82 million girls and 69 million boys have experienced some form of sexual violence,” said the organisation.
Together for Girls’ chief executive, Dr Daniela Ligiero, said sexual abuse against children is pervasive, widespread, and horrific, but there are known and proven ways for preventing it.
Ligiero added: “We also know that it also happens in the dark. One of the key reasons for its proliferation is the lack of global measurement. While some governments and organisations measure on a national or regional level, we have yet to see rigorous measures on a global scale.”
IOL