MAKHANDA – Louis Stephanus Lategan, a 42-year-old Xamdeboo (formerly Aberdeen) farmer, has been convicted of multiple counts of human trafficking, rape and assault following a trial that lasted more than 18 months in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Makhanda.

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, Lategan was convicted on six counts of trafficking in persons, five counts of rape, two counts of assault as a competent verdict on two of the rape counts, three counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to children, two counts of common assault on adult workers, one count of assaulting a child, as well as two counts of unlawful possession of more than 200 rounds of ammunition.

“The charges stem from offences committed on his remote farm, to which he lured young women seeking employment as au pairs, drugged them and raped them,” said Tyali.

Young women lured with job offers

He said evidence led in court revealed that the accused, who in 2020 lived alone on his farm after separating from his wife, advertised on Facebook for an au pair to work on his farm and take care of his minor children when they came to visit.

Tyali said he later also used an employment agency for the same purpose. However, his real intentions were to have young women on the farm in order to sexually exploit them.

“On different occasions between 2020 and 2023, young women, aged between 18 and 21 years, desperate for employment, responded to the advertisements and accepted the accused’s employment offers with the promise of paying them between R5,000 and R30,000 for their services,” said Tyali.

He said the young women came from cities such as Bloemfontein, Emalahleni, Standerton and Amanzimtoti.

“On different occasions, the accused made the complainants consume alcohol or a drink laced with a drug that made them extremely drowsy, and they would find themselves naked on the following morning, with pain in their genital area,” said Tyali.

Workers also subjected to physical abuse

He said prosecution-guided investigations that began in 2023 also revealed physical abuse of some of the workers on the farm, with some being assaulted with a broomstick or sjambok, kicked and pushed into water.

Tyali said during the marathon trial, which ran for more than 18 months, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Nickie Turner led the evidence of 24 witnesses.

He said the accused, who had pleaded not guilty, also called four witnesses in his defence and testified himself.

Tyali said the court only acquitted him on one count of rape as the child complainant did not testify.

Case postponed for sentencing

He said the case has been postponed to 21 September for sentencing proceedings.

Tyali said the NPA remains steadfast in its efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide and to ensure that victims and their families receive justice through the criminal justice system.

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