San girl in suspected trafficking in Oshikoto region

A 10-year-old girl from the San community of Omutse B village in the Okankolo constituency of the Oshikoto region has safely been returned home after she was allegedly trafficked by an elderly woman in late February this year.
The Namibian Police’s crime investigation coordinator in the Oshikoto region, deputy commissioner Titus Ekandjo, informed Nampa on Tuesday the matter was only reported to the police on Monday.
He said a case of trafficking in persons was opened against a 73-year-old woman from the same village, after she allegedly gave the child away to her son-in-law, aged 53, who resides at the village of Onambundu in the Omuthiya constituency of the Oshikoto region.
Ekandjo said it was reported that on 26 February, the girl, accompanied by her 20-year-old brother, went to the residence of the pensioner for a routine visit to see their younger sibling of approximately seven or eight years, who resides there.
“The older brother returned home, leaving the victim at the suspect’s house and after two days, the victim’s mother visited the suspect’s house to enquire about her daughter’s whereabouts,” Ekandjo said.
The suspect allegedly denied any knowledge of the little girl’s presence or location.
“On a subsequent occasion, the suspect reacted with hostility when the victim’s mother again enquired about her daughter,” Ekandjo reported.
He said the mother later received information that the suspect had given her daughter to her son-in-law to work as his housekeeper.
The police located the girl at the son-in-law’s residence at Onambundu, a village in the Omuthiya area, and subsequently returned her to her mother.

No arrests have been made yet, but a police investigation is continuing.

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