Police arrest suspect linked by DNA to 16 KZN rape cases

Police have arrested a 46-year-old man they say is linked by DNA evidence to the rape of 16 women in Cato Manor, KwaZulu-Natal.

The man is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday on multiple charges of rape, housebreaking and attempted murder.

Police allege that the offences were committed over a period beginning in 2014. Investigators believe the attacker mainly operated at night and followed women from taverns to their homes.

Specialist units investigated cases

According to the police account carried by eNCA, victims were unable to identify the attacker because his face was concealed. Investigators say forensic DNA evidence later linked the suspect to the cases.

The Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation unit and the Investigative Psychology Section were involved in the investigation.

The arrest does not amount to a finding of guilt. The prosecution will have to present its evidence in court, and the accused is entitled to challenge the charges.

Police had not publicly released the suspect’s name by the time of publication. Further details about the individual cases and the dates on which they were reported were not disclosed in the information reviewed by EBNewsDaily.

The Durban Magistrate’s Court is expected to deal with the formal charges and the accused’s custody status at his first appearance.