Cape Town - Anti gender-based violence activists have welcomed the decision by the Western Cape High Court to hand down a hefty sentence of five life terms to a Cameroonian man who was convicted alongside his wife and cousin for trafficking women to the Western Cape to work as sex slaves.
Edward Ayuk burst into tears in the dock while Judge Alma De Wet handed down the sentence on Friday.
Ayuk, along with his cousin Yannick, have been in custody for over seven years after being arrested by the Hawks for running a brothel in Brooklyn in September 2017.
The duo went on trial in November 2021 alongside Ayuk’s estranged wife, Leandre Williams, in what was dubbed the biggest human trafficking case before a local court.
The trio received over 40 charges including rape, kidnapping, assault and various other offences for running the brothel.
After they were convicted, Williams turned on the father of her children and confessed that he had beaten and sold women, saying she too was a victim but was too scared to speak up.
In her lengthy judgment, De Wet explained that she had analysed all the victim assessment reports and the findings of the social workers and explained many of the victims were left traumatised after being treated as commodities. De Wet highlighted the drug dealing charge against Ayuk and said it was clear that the use of crack cocaine by the victims was a tool used to enslave them.
“The complainants were defenceless victims who were subjected to abuse of the worst form. They were treated like objects and stripped of their dignity as human beings. They were treated like commodities by the accused for their greed of money and power,” De Wet said.
Ayuk was sentenced to five life terms of imprisonment for every count of human trafficking; 15 years for living off the earnings of prostitution; 10 years for every count of kidnapping; 10 years for assault and another 10 years for tampering with ID documents.
But the judge was interrupted when Ayuk burst into tears.
“Jesus Christ! What have I done?” he was heard shouting as police officers tried to console him.
Caroline Peters of the Callas Foundation said the organisation followed the case since 2021 and are happy with the outcome.
“This verdict is not only a victory for the brave survivors but also a testament to the resilience of our justice system. I’m deeply grateful to the Hawks and everyone who worked so hard to reach this outcome.
“It’s moments like these that remind us why we must continue the fight against trafficking and stand strong for those who need us.”