Genital mutilation: Danish man abandons bail

This comes as Home Affairs applied to have 63-year-old Peter Frederiksen’s South African citizenship revoked after it became apparent that he had convictions pending against him in Denmark and Lesotho.

Frederiksen had received a six-months-prison sentence in Denmark relating to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, while he had also been released on bail pending a charge of assault in Lesotho.

“Under these circumstances, it doesn’t make sense to apply for bail,” said Frederiksen’s attorney, Adriaan Janse van Rensburg. Van Rensburg also confirmed that all the charges currently levelled against his client stemmed from complaints laid by his wife, and that police were still searching for other victims.

He also divulged that two women had since pitched up at Frederiksen’s Bloemfontein gun shop, claiming that they had voluntarily undergone the genital mutilation procedures at Frederiksen’s hands, and that it had been for cultural purposes.

Police investigators confirmed this, but said that the women still needed to go for medical examinations to confirm their claims.

Protesters from the ANC Women’s League lined the courtroom this morning, hurling insults at Frederiksen each time the court adjourned for a few minutes. “How could you have done such things?” and “No bail for the butcher!” they shouted.

Frederiksen tried to cover his face with a plastic bag when newspaper photographers started taking pictures.

“We are here to support his 21 victims, whether they are dead or alive”, said Mapaseka Nkoane, the regional chairperson of the ANC Women’s League in the Free State’s Motheo district. “We support his wife who had exposed him, and we want to show that we are deeply offended by what he did.”

Frederiksen was arrested on Thursday, September 17 in Bloemfontein after police received information that he had photographs of the women whose private parts he had removed.

When the Hawks raided his townhouse in one of Bloemfontein’s southern suburbs, they discovered 21 packages with parts of female genitalia in his freezer. They also found several photographs on his cell phone, depicting his alleged victims and different stages of his operations.

Police also confiscated scalpels and other medical equipment as well as anesthetics that were found in the townhouse.

Police believe he had been performing the operations since 2010. Most of his victims are believed to be from Lesotho.

One of them is thought to be as young as seven or eight years old.

His wife, also a Lesotho national, is believed to be one of his victims. Police became aware of his activities after his wife reported him at the Bloemfontein child and family care office.

She has since returned to Lesotho, leaving their two children, aged two and five, behind. They are now in the care of officials of the Department of Social Development.

Police have meanwhile established that Frederiksen is being sought on different charges in his home country. He reportedly fled Denmark to evade these charges.

This morning the state amended the charges against him. He is now charged with three counts of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, with an alternative charge of sexual assault in each case. He is also charged with the possession and production of child pornography, plus the removal of human tissue, in contravention of the Health Act.

The Directorate of Public Prosecution indicated that it needed time in order to have DNA samples examined by a forensic laboratory, which is normally a time consuming process.

The case was postponed to 7 December for further investigation. The accused remains in custody.