Overview
- The Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Makhanda found Louis Stephanus Lategan guilty on six counts of human trafficking and five counts of rape on Wednesday.
- Prosecutors say Lategan used Facebook and an employment agency between 2020 and 2023 to recruit women aged about 18 to 21 from towns such as Bloemfontein and Emalahleni by promising R5,000–R30,000 in pay.
- Evidence led in an 18‑month trial included testimony from 24 witnesses that the women were given alcohol or drug‑laced drinks, woke with genital pain, and suffered physical assaults on the farm.
- Police found more than 200 rounds of ammunition on the property, producing two counts of unlawful possession that were included in the convictions.
- Sentencing is scheduled to begin on 21 September and the case highlights prosecutors’ push to strengthen prosecutions of gender‑based violence while standard appeal rights and post‑conviction procedures remain available.