‘Serial rapist’ pleads for bail
Man accused of raping 44 women
A Germiston, Ekurhuleni, man accused of raping 44 women pleaded with the high court in Johannesburg yesterday to grant him bail because he was “not a danger to society”.
Khutso Mailoane, 30, told the South Gauteng High Court that he intended pleading not guilty to 44 counts of rape, 41 of kidnapping, 44 of robberies and assault. He was arrested in February in Germiston for the crimes.
Yesterday, he told the court in his mitigation for bail that he was not a danger to society.
Mailoane, a father of two kids aged eight and five who was employed as a security guard, said he was concerned about his children’s welfare.
“If the court can grant me bail, I will be able to see where my children sleep and what they eat. I have been in custody for some time,” he said.
The state alleges Mailoane is a serial rapist who operated around Germiston and Reiger Park from 2009 to 2017. It is alleged that he also raped a 13year old pupil near the old Germiston train station.
The state said Mailoane threatened his victims with a knife before raping them.
He is also alleged to have robbed victims of their cellphones, cash and jewellery.
In another incident, it is alleged that Mailoane kidnapped and raped a heavily pregnant woman.
The state also alleges that three scho ol girls were among his rape victims. It is alleged that he placed the girls on top of one another to prevent them from running away while he raped each of them in turn.
Investigating officer Othusitse Saaiman said Mailoane would waylay his victims and grab them from behind. Saaiman said he would drag the victims into a secluded area and rape them.
Defence lawyer Andile Mavatha said the state needed to advance evidence that if the accused was granted bail he would abscond from the trial.
Mavatha said he challenged DNA results that allegedly linked Mailoane to the crimes.
Prosecutor Michelle Bayat said there were three victims who positively identified Mailoane during an identity parade. “He has been linked to 44 rape cases through DNA samples. If convicted of these crimes, a life sentence will be imposed on him,” Bayat said.
Judge Shimati Shilubane said all the offences the accused was facing were related to violence. The case resumes on April 16 2018. He remains in custody.
‘‘If convicted of these crimes, life sentence will be imposed on him