Courts / Dublin / Report

Woman who smuggled girl (16) into Ireland for money in 'crime of desperation' is jailed

Summary

A 32‑year‑old South African woman, Anele Ngwenya, was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for assisting the entry of a 16‑year‑old Congolese girl into Ireland on a fake passport. Ngwenya pleaded guilty to the offence of assisting the entry of another person at Terminal Two, Dublin Airport on 5 October 2023. She claimed she had agreed to escort the girl for €971 after being approached by members of her church in Johannesburg, describing the act as a "crime of desperation". The girl, who is now under Tusla's care, travelled from Paris with Ngwenya, who was questioned by immigration officers about her purpose of travel. Ngwenya had no prior convictions in Ireland or South Africa. The court accepted that there were no aggravating features and imposed a 16‑month custodial sentence, describing the offence as serious but not an insidious human trafficking case.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Woman who smuggled girl (16) into Ireland for money in 'crime of desperation' is jailed. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• October 5, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2024-01-29 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report