South Africa: Danish 'FGM' man gets life in jail Published duration 15 March 2018

image copyright AFP image caption Peter Frederiksen was described as manipulative by the judge

A Danish man, who was found with women's genitals in his freezer, has been given two life sentences by a South African court for the rape of a minor and the murder of his wife.

Peter Frederiksen was convicted of 36 offences last year, including the production of child pornography.

Charges related to genital mutilation were dropped due to a loophole.

Judge Johann Daffue called Frederiksen manipulative and lacking in remorse for his crimes.

Frederiksen apologised to his late wife's family and to South Africans after the sentencing at Bloemfontein High Court, AFP news agency reports.

In 2015, a domestic dispute led to the police finding around 21 pieces of frozen female genitalia in his home, which were neatly labelled in plastic bags with a date, the name of a woman and where she was from.

The 65-year-old was arrested, and jailed as he awaited trial.

According to local media, police discovered diaries from 2005 with accounts of the genital mutilation of victims. They also found pieces of dried female genitalia on a hook.

He was acquitted of charges relating to the human tissue found in his fridge due to the law being unclear on this type of crime.

On top of the life sentences, Frederiksen was given other prison terms on Thursday totalling more than 40 years.

"You were the general and you orchestrated the murder," Judge Daffue said of the assassination of Anna Matseliso Molis, Frederiksen's late wife.

She was due to be the main witness at his trial, but was shot four times outside her home in Lesotho. The court heard in 2017 that he had paid a man in prison to arrange her killing.

Judge Daffue said vulnerable members society needed to be "protected against person like you".