Voice note shatters mother’s defence
In a WhatsApp voice note, the Gauteng mother accused of forcing her two minor daughters into sex work described her eldest, who was 13 years old at the time, as her ‘income', reports News24.
The voice note – played in the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg), where the mother is on trial – flies in the face of her defence that she did not force her daughters into sex work for financial gain.
On 22 January 2023, the mother sent the voice note to lawyer Carel Schoeman. At the time, Schoeman was allegedly engaged to the minor, who was with him in Gauteng.
He stands accused of buying the girl from her mother and then raping her repeatedly.
Schoeman, who is on trial alongside the mother, claims he did not knowingly commit a criminal offence, as he did not know the 13-year-old’s age at the time.
In the voice note, the mother said to Schoeman: ‘Is there if a possibility that you can fetch my Mini tomorrow or Tuesday and just put another engine then you can drive down with it and I can have my car here, then you can take the Pajero, at the moment, the Pajero is my income, you understand, because my other income is with you.’
Under cross-examination by Schoeman’s advocate, Cronje Kriel, the mother admitted that she had sent the voice note and that it was her voice that was heard on the recording.
The mother further conceded she was referring to her eldest daughter when mentioning the income, but she insisted the money her daughter made from seeing clients was combined with money she made doing the same work, according to News24.
The cross-examination then turned to Schoeman’s knowledge of the girl’s age.
On her ‘sexual services’ profile she was listed as 19 years old. The mother testified that she saw no need to tell Schoeman her daughter’s age as it was the girl’s responsibility to do so.
It is Schoeman’s version he only found out how old the complainant was after her grandmother called him.
The mother testified that her daughter had eventually told Schoeman how old she was and that it is the daughter’s version that he still slept with her afterwards.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
