SAPS records 17 kidnapping cases linked to human trafficking in three months
SAPS recorded 17 kidnapping cases in which human trafficking was identified as a circumstance between January and March 2026, while experts warn that victims can also be groomed and exploited without being kidnapped.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) recorded 17 kidnapping cases linked to human trafficking between January and March 2026, according to the latest crime statistics. This follows 67 such cases in Gauteng between October and December 2025. Nine of the 17 cases were in Gauteng, while KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Tembisa also reported incidents.
Talitha Oosthuizen, an ambassador for Human Trafficking Awareness and Education, emphasized the need for education to recognize grooming, manipulation, deception, and coercion. In KwaZulu-Natal, a seven-year-old boy was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted in September. In the Western Cape, a 25-year-old e-hailing driver was rescued after being raped and held for ransom.
In Gauteng, a four-month-old baby was kidnapped, later found dead, and the mother was raped. A pastor's wife has been arrested in this incident. Shattering Shackles investigator Susan Saila clarified that trafficking is exploitation-based, not transportation-based, and can happen within South Africa or local communities. She warned that parents should be wary of online relationships that become intensely personal, especially when the person has not been verified.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
