A serial rapist who pleaded guilty to a string of rapes, kidnappings, attempted rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances has been sentenced to three life terms by the Scottburgh regional court in KwaZulu-Natal.
The crimes were committed between April 2019 and April 2021 in Sawoti, Msinsini and Highflats.
Sakhile Mhlungu, 44, preyed on 10 women aged between 11 and 22 years and would offer them a lift in his vehicle, taking them to a nearby forest where he would rape them.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said after the incidents, the complainants opened cases at the police station, describing the vehicle driven by Mhlungu.
“The police circulated this description, and Mhlungu was caught while driving his vehicle. A subsequent identity parade confirmed that he was the one who had attacked the complainants,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said Mhlungu was also linked to some of the complainants by DNA evidence.
In aggravation of sentence, one of the complainants said she had contemplated suicide due to the trauma she had endured while some complainants said they could not go to school for fear of seeing Mhlungu.
“They said the trauma they experienced had affected their academic performance,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Mhlungu was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment for the rapes where his victims were under the age of 18 years, 10 years' imprisonment for each of the remaining counts of rape, three years' imprisonment for attempted rape, three years' imprisonment for each of the kidnapping charges, and 15 years' imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Ramkisson-Kara said he will effectively serve life imprisonment.
“In addition, the court ordered that his name be entered in the National Register of Sex Offenders and his particulars be included in the National Child Protection Register. The court deemed him unfit to possess a firearm and found him unsuitable to work with children,” she said.
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KZN serial rapist sentenced to three life terms
Image: 123RF
A serial rapist who pleaded guilty to a string of rapes, kidnappings, attempted rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances has been sentenced to three life terms by the Scottburgh regional court in KwaZulu-Natal.
The crimes were committed between April 2019 and April 2021 in Sawoti, Msinsini and Highflats.
Sakhile Mhlungu, 44, preyed on 10 women aged between 11 and 22 years and would offer them a lift in his vehicle, taking them to a nearby forest where he would rape them.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said after the incidents, the complainants opened cases at the police station, describing the vehicle driven by Mhlungu.
“The police circulated this description, and Mhlungu was caught while driving his vehicle. A subsequent identity parade confirmed that he was the one who had attacked the complainants,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said Mhlungu was also linked to some of the complainants by DNA evidence.
In aggravation of sentence, one of the complainants said she had contemplated suicide due to the trauma she had endured while some complainants said they could not go to school for fear of seeing Mhlungu.
“They said the trauma they experienced had affected their academic performance,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Mhlungu was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment for the rapes where his victims were under the age of 18 years, 10 years' imprisonment for each of the remaining counts of rape, three years' imprisonment for attempted rape, three years' imprisonment for each of the kidnapping charges, and 15 years' imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Ramkisson-Kara said he will effectively serve life imprisonment.
“In addition, the court ordered that his name be entered in the National Register of Sex Offenders and his particulars be included in the National Child Protection Register. The court deemed him unfit to possess a firearm and found him unsuitable to work with children,” she said.
TimesLIVE
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