A Danish national appeared in a South African court Monday on sexual assault charges after 21 female genital parts were found stuffed in his freezer, police said.
His arrest came after his wife, from Lesotho, told police he drugged her and cut off her genitalia while incapacitated. Named by Danish newspaper BT as 63-year-old Peter Frederiksen, it was revealed he had openly discussed practising female genital mutilation with a journalist in the past.
Police said they also found anaesthetic, photographs and surgical tools. He “allegedly sedated his victims before performing illegal operations on them,” police said in a statement. Police suspect most of his victims were from the neighbouring tiny kingdom of Lesotho. Forensic experts are now investigating if the body parts were taken from his alleged victims while the women were dead or alive, The Local reported.
Masilela Langa, a police spokesman, said he had kept a record of every body part, who it belonged to and when it was removed. Police said his first alleged victim was in 2010.
Langa told Netwerk24: ‘It is now important that we get from the man’s victims. At this stage we do not know how many women there are, as there are many, many photos. We are engaged in research and to question the man. It is as if he knew his victims and knew where to look for them.’
Police said it has emerged that the man is wanted in Denmark for illegally dealing in firearms, said police.
