Killer in their midst

A man suspected of multiple murders and rapes across Cape Town appears in court today amid speculation that he is a serial killer.

The man was arrested last week in Gugulethu in connection with the murder of six women, whose naked bodies were found tied up and buried face down late last year in shallow graves near the Century City train station.

Police have said all the bodies were in an advanced stage of decomposition, making identification difficult.

Residents of the northern suburb of Kensington, which is close to the train station, fear a serial killer has been in their midst.

But the police have declined to divulge details of the murders or speculate about a serial killer while investigations are continuing.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said: "The circumstances surrounding the suspect's involvement in the crimes are still under investigation and the finer aspects of the matter cannot be disclosed at this stage."

Jackie de Wet, a forensic psychologist and criminologist at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said detailed investigations had to take place before the work of a serial killer could be identified.

"A full linkage analysis has to be conducted to establish the method of operation leading to the killings and specifics of the victims like age, gender and race. The investigation must also address questions of whether the bodies were killed on the scene or dumped," he said.

Only if all requirements were met and the police felt the public might be in danger could they say a serial killer was on the loose.