By Augustine Ehikioya
A Magistrate court in Keiskammahoek on Friday denied a 42-year-old Eastern Cape mother and her two co-accused Bangladeshi nationals bail.
She was accused of forcing her 13-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome and her boyfriend’s 16-year-old niece to have sex with the two Bangladesh nationals in exchange for cash.
The identity of the woman was not disclosed in order to protect the identity of the children.
Security Watch Africa (SWA) also gathered that she was “charged with sexual exploitation of a minor” while her co-accused, two Bangladeshi national, Tanvir Tirru Rahman, 34 and Roime Raju Mohammed, 36, “are charged with sexual exploitation of a minor and rape”.
The unnamed mother, who is a South African national, was feared that she could intimidate or influence witnesses in the case if released on bail.
Further details of the allegation showed that the mother sold her 13-year-old daughter and her boyfriend’s 16-year-old niece for sex to Rahman, who was a sales assistant at a local shop, and Mohammed Mohammed, who worked as a welder at the time of the alleged crimes.
“The mother allegedly receive R400 in exchange for each sexual encounter”.
It was also alleged that she would use the money to buy alcohol and drugs for herself and her boyfriend.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said “the trio failed to present exceptional circumstances in their bail applications for them to be released,
“Rahman and Mohammed were also seen as flight risks as they don’t have family ties, assets or occupational ties in Keiskammahoek”, the NPA stated.