Namibia: Co-Accused Backs Alleged Russian Paedophile’s Defence

The co-accused of Russian national Alexander Krylov testified this week in her own defence on 42 counts of rape and child trafficking in addition to a charge of supplying cigarettes to minors.

Namibian national Anna Katrina Engelbrecht (31) testified that it was the first complainant who asked her to introduce her to Krylof for sex in exchange for money.

According to Engelbrecht, during the first encounter, Krylof (59) asked the girl if she is not under-aged because she looked very small, but the girl assured him she is 17 turning 18.

She further said it was not her, but this girl, who may not be named to protect her identity, who brought the other girls to Krylof for sexual intercourse in exchange for money.

She further said the girls were already selling themselves to men as she overheard them saying that Krylof paid too little as they usually get at least N$400 per session while he only paid N$100 and taxi money which came to N$120. Krylov also testified that he never initiated the sexual encounters but that one of the girls (X) – the one he first met through his co-accused – was always the one who initiated the encounters and who brought the other girls with her. He further said that the girls knew what was expected of them and that X showed them what to do. He always paid them each N$100 after the encounters, he stated. “I used to lend out money to people and then had to run after them to pay me back. I then decided not to lend out money again, but to have people work for the money,” he told the judge and added: “That’s what I told the girls because they came to me for money and I told them I do not hand out money for free.”

While the girls were skinny and small in stature, he was assured by them that they were of consenting age, and he further informed the court.

Krylov is facing 26 counts of rape, alternatively having intercourse with a minor and Engelbrecht five counts including child trafficking while both are facing 11 counts each of trafficking in children.

Both accused pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial.

Engelbrecht, who reportedly was in a relationship with Krylov, allegedly recruited the five victims, aged between 15 and 16, for Krylof and brought them to him for alleged sexual intercourse.

Krylov was a marine pilot at Namport, and was out at sea while the case was being investigated before his arrest.

It is alleged that Krylof committed the sexual acts with the five girls in 2016 until June 2017.

Three of the victims are pupils at Swakopmund and Walvis Bay schools, while two are school dropouts.

Krylov, also known as ‘Sir Alex’, was arrested in October 2017 at Walvis Bay after a month’s investigation was launched by the Namibian Police.

His alleged sexual crimes, however, came to light in September after a parent of one of the minors noticed that her daughter had been going missing for several days without a valid explanation. Both Krylof and Engelbrecht are free on warning. They are represented by Ileni Velikoshi and the State by Palmer Khumalo.

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