Warning: This story contains gory details from the beginning.
A South African serial rapist who attacked children as young as nine has been sentenced to 42 life sentences.
Nkosinati Phakathi was found guilty of 90 rapes committed between 2012 and 2021.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the 40-year-old sometimes made children watch him rape his victims and forced young boys to rape their female friends.
Pakati’s crimes occurred in or around Ekurhuleni, a municipality just east of the city of Johannesburg.
On Friday, the Johannesburg High Court heard Phakati was sentenced to 42 life sentences for crimes including rape, kidnapping, theft and assault.
The most serious cases involving multiple victims often result in multiple life sentences.
The NPA said the judge agreed that Pakati “has shown no remorse and is on the verge of rehabilitation.”
Most of Phakati’s victims were school children, the youngest being a nine-year-old girl, the NPA said in a statement. His oldest victim was 44 years old.
The NPA said Pakati targeted many of these people as they were commuting to work or school.
Phakati also attacked some of the victims by posing as an electrician who had come to repair home appliances in order to gain access to their homes, the statement said.
Phakati was shot by police during his arrest in 2021 and lost his legs.
He attended Friday’s sentencing wearing a blue tracksuit, a face mask and on crutches.
South Africa is suffering from rising rates of violent crime, with rape and murder being rampant.
According to police data, more than 9,300 rape cases took place between April and June this year, an increase of 0.6% compared to the same period last year.
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