An escourt from the Umhlanga area was allegedly drugged, sexually assaulted, and later dumped on the R102 between Umhlanga and Mount Edgecombe.
Gender-based violence (GBV) activists have voiced their concerns about the increase in violence against sex workers in Phoenix, Tongaat, Verulam, Chatsworth and Merebank, calling for urgent legal reform and support for these vulnerable individuals.
They said sex work was rapidly rising in these close-knit communities, as women pursued the profession to feed their families and afford living expenses.
Dr Daniel Chettiar, the founder of the DSK Group, an NPO that provides support services for GBV survivors, child abuse, and trauma, said sex work was rife in Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat and Umhlali due to unemployment and poverty.
He said that while more women were turning to sex work to survive, there was no safety net for sex workers.
