A serial rapist from South Africa – who also molested children as young as nine – has been sentenced to 42 life sentences, the BBC reports.
Nkosinathi Phakathi was convicted of 90 counts of rape – assaults he committed between 2012 and 2021.
The 40-year-old forced children to watch him rape his victims and also forced young boys to rape their girlfriends, South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.
Phakathi’s crimes took place in or around Ekurhuleni, a township east of the city of Johannesburg.
Phakathi, who lost his leg after being shot by police while trying to evade arrest, listened to Judge Lesego Makolomakwe’s reasoning for handing him the maximum sentences with his head resting on his arms,
holding on to his crutches.
Convicted criminals are expected to stand while their sentences are read to them. Makolomakwe allowed Phakathi to sit in the dock as she made her way
through the lengthy list of his offences and the prison time she was giving him.
He was reportedly handed 42 life sentences for rape, as well as 791 years and six months for the remaining crimes.
The High Court in Johannesburg on Friday convicted Phakathi of charges including rape, kidnapping, theft and assault.
The court concluded that Phakathi has shown no signs of remorse.
Most of Phakathi’s victims were schoolchildren, the youngest being a nine-year-old girl, the NPA statement said. The oldest victim was 44 years old.
According to the NPA, his victims were targeted when they were traveling to or from work or school.
Between 2012 and 2021, Phakathi preyed on women, and children as young as nine, in Ekurhuleni.
Of his victims, 24 were minors and nine were adults who were attacked at their homes and on the streets
between 05:30 and 07:30.
When he was arrested nine years after starting his spree – targeting females in Crystal Park, Putfontein, Benoni, and Daveyton – Phakathi faced 203 charges.
He eventually pleaded guilty to 148, including sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft and possession of an unlicensed firearm. The remaining 55 charges were withdrawn.
South Africa suffers from a rising rate of violent crime, with rampant rapes and murders.
There were more than 9.300 rapes between April and June this year, up 0.6% on the same period last year, police data show.
Peoplesmind
