Kidnapping case of 12 Ethiopian teenagers postponed as language barrier delays court proceedings

Mapaballo Borotho

The kidnapping case of 12 Ethiopian teenagers in Johannesburg has been postponed to Friday due to a language barrier.
The accused, a 47-year-old foreign national, understands very little English and was stopped from speaking in court.
The teenagers were rescued earlier this week, and Hawks are investigating possible human trafficking while verifying their ages.

The kidnapping case against a 47-year-old foreign national has been rolled over to Friday to allow for an interpreter to be available in court, after a language barrier issue arose on Thursday.

The accused told the court that he understands very little English. He also tried to address the court but was quickly stopped, as anything he said could incriminate him and be used against him at a later stage.

He was apprehended earlier this week after 12 Ethiopian teenagers allegedly escaped from a house in the south of Johannesburg where they were being held.

The teenagers were rescued by Johannesburg Metropolitan Department officers.

Eight of the teenagers were found wandering in Bassonia, while another two were located in Mulberton. Two others were found at the house where they were allegedly being kept captive.

Meanwhile, the Hawks emphasised that they cannot rule out the possibility of human trafficking in this case. Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said medical checks are being conducted on the victims to confirm their ages.

“For now, they are being treated as victims; they have been taken to a doctor to assess whether the ages we have been given are indeed correct. At this stage, there are many other investigations ongoing which will eventually be part of the docket, and the public will be notified,” said Mogale.