Life behind bars for North West serial rapist who attacked 15 women over four years

A rapist has been sentenced.

• A North West serial rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment. 
• Jacob Kgatlane was found guilty of rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, attempted rape, and kidnapping.
• He attacked 15 women between 2009 and 2013, His youngest victim was a 14-year-old girl and the oldest was a 37-year-old woman.

A North West serial rapist who attacked 15 women, the youngest just 14, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Brits Regional Court handed down the sentence earlier this week.

Jacob Boas Kgatlane was found guilty of 21 counts, including 10 counts of rape, nine counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, one count of attempted rape, and one count of kidnapping.

The 41-year-old serial rapist was believed to have begun his raping spree in July 2009 and continued until January 2013.

Kgatlane raped a total of 15 women, six of them were below 18 years old. His youngest victims was 14 years old, the oldest, 37.

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According to North West spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh, Kgatlane would pounce on unsuspecting women in isolated areas, where he would rape and rob them.

He was predominantly active in Letlhabile and Lethabong near Brits in North West as well as Thabazimbi in Limpopo, she said.

“In the first case reported on 30 July 2009 in Zone 6, Letlhabile, the court heard that Kgatlane grabbed a 16-year-old pupil who was walking to school.

“He threatened her with death and dragged her into the nearby bushes, where he undressed and raped her. After the ordeal, he robbed her of her stationery,” said Myburgh.

She said in the last case reported on 13 January 2013, a 32-year-old woman was jogging in Block B, Letlhabile, at around 06:50 when Kgatlane approached her and volunteered to join her.

“He jogged with her, but when they approached a bushy area, he suddenly grabbed the woman by her neck, threatened to stab her with a knife, and raped her.

“The victim was then robbed of her cellular phone,” said Myburgh.

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Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Kgatlane raped most of his victims at night.  

“He would target women walking at night, threaten them with a knife or tell them he has a gun. He would then drag them to nearby bushes, stadium toilets, and abandoned buildings, where he raped them,” said Mahanjana. 

She said Kgatlane was arrested in Mpumalanga on August 2013 after an informer told the police about his whereabouts. 

Mahanjana said a phone he stole from one of his victims was found in the possession of his relative. 

He was arrested and had been in custody ever since.

“[The State prosecutor] told the court that women have a right to walk freely on the streets, go and come back from work without fear. [He] asked the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence,” said Mahanjane.

Kgatlane was sentenced to six life terms, where two sentences are expected to run concurrently, said Myburgh.

She said he received an additional 150 years imprisonment on 15 charges that included robbery, kidnapping, attempted rape, and rape.