Luthando Gabelani (22) was found guilty of six counts of rape, attempted rape, sexual assault and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

The court heard that on the 16th of August 2012, Gabelani assaulted his first victim, threatened her with a gun and raped her.

The 20-year old victim was with her mother collecting wood near Extension 7.

Magistrate Hans Combrink read a statement compiled by a social worker that the victim attempted suicide after the traumatic incident.

His second victim, who was 55-years old at the time, was attacked on 29 August while also picking up wood in Extension 8.

Gabelani left the victim with an open wound and a broken knee after the rape.

The following day, he attacked a 23-year old woman at her home in Extension 5.

He raped her in her bedroom before robbing her of her cell phone and money.

On 7 December 2012, Gabelani broke into a shack in Avalon and attacked two sisters, a 13-year-old girl, and a baby, with a knife.

He raped one of them three times.

“You raped one of the women, tried to rape the 13-year-old, went back to the first woman and raped her for the second time. You were then busy with the baby, stopped, and went to rape the woman a third time,” magistrate Combrink said.

Gabelani received ten years for each of the first three counts of rape, three years for sexual assault, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years for attempted rape and life imprisonment for the last three rapes.

The sentences will run concurrently.

Gabelani is currently serving a seven year jail term for a similar crime he was found guilty of in July 2013.

The court put into consideration that the accused is a youth and has a four-year-old child living in the Eastern Cape.

Gabelani’s mother died in 2009 and his father in 2012. He dropped out of school in 2006 after failing his grade 7.

The Xhosa speaking man told the Observer that he will come back and apologise to his victims.

“It’s a long period in jail, but one day I will have a chance to speak to the women and ask for forgiveness,” he said.

However, two of his victims said they will never accept his apology. “He is a young boy, he will finish his jail term with ease and come back and continue violating women in the society,” cried the oldest victim. She added that she is haunted by Gabelani’s face whenever her knee starts to pain.

One of the younger victims, had mixed emotions with the court’s verdict.

“When the magistrate was reading the sentencing, I was busy calculating the years. I was happy with the total jail term, until I heard that the sentences will run concurrently. This man will soon be walking the streets again,” said the 23-year-old.