A Cape Town woman, who was convicted of sex trafficking a 14-year-old girl and selling her to foreigners to work as a prostitute, will spend the next 15 years in the mang after being sentenced last week.
Verona Kennedy, 27, was sentenced at the Cape Town Regional Court on Friday after she was busted by the Hawks in 2015 while her co-accused fled the country.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani says Kennedy was found guilty after the teen took to the stand and told the judge about her ordeal which started in 2013.
“Kennedy was sentenced to 15 years for trafficking in person for sexual purposes.
“The court heard the evidence of the 14-year-old victim, who testified about her ordeal which started in 2013.
“During 2013, the victim who was living in George during the time of her kidnapping, was recruited by Kennedy and traded to a foreign national named Christopher Chichoke.
“Chichoke is reported to have given her drugs and forced her to work as a sex worker for him,” Hani says.
The teen managed to escape and ran to Woodstock SAPS where she registered a criminal case and both Kennedy and Chichoke were nabbed by the Hawks.
“Both accused were then arrested in 2015 and later released on bail R5000 and R1000 respectively.
“Chichoke has since fled the country and circulated as a wanted person.
“Kennedy was then rearrested in 2018 and she has remained in custody throughout the trial where her bail had been successfully opposed.”