Serial r@pist given four life terms and 63 years after DNA links

A Western Cape serial r@pist has been sentenced to four life terms plus an additional 63 years direct imprisonment for a series of violent attacks dating back to 2019, after his DNA linked him to multiple r@pe cases following his arrest for another r@pe. The Western Cape high court in South Africa, imposed the sentence after the state and 27-year-old Sihle Makuala entered into a plea and sentencing agreement. Prosecutor Adv Kepler Uys told the court that Makuala began terrorising three young women and a minor in the Siyanyanzela informal settlement in Grabouw on July 29, 2019. Uys said that on the first occasion, he stabbed and hit a woman to subdue her before r@ping her at knifepoint, then searched her handbag and robbed her of a hokka pipe while threatening her. Uys said that on August 21, 2019, Makuala attacked another young woman near Grabouw Lodge, dragged her to a secluded area, undressed her and r@ped her. He then searched her handbag and stole two bank cards, forced her to provide the PINs, and took R9 in cash while threatening her with the knife. On October 7, 2019, he confronted another young woman, demanded money, and when she said she had none, forced her to a bushy area at knifepoint where he undressed and r@ped her, afterwards robbing her of an R2 coin. Uys said that on August 13, 2020, Makuala approached a 17-year-old girl, blindfolded her, took her to his home, threatened her with a knife, undressed her and r@ped her, then robbed her of her cellphone, charger and earphones valued at R1,400. Uys explained that Makuala was arrested in May 2022 after being detained for an unrelated r@pe, for which he is already serving 15 years of direct imprisonment. His DNA profile later matched evidence across multiple r@pe dockets, enabling prosecutors to link him to the four cases. Complainants in these cases were unable to identify the accused directly, Uys said, adding that the DNA Project allowed prosecutors to consolidate the cases and present compelling evidence of his serial offending. Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in the Western Cape, Eric Ntabazalila, said that without the DNA links, he may never have been connected to these crimes.The post Serial r@pist given four life terms and 63 years after DNA links appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.