Detectives in South Africa are investigating whether a serial killer is on the loose after 12 female bodies were found in the same area since July. The bodies were discovered in Ekurhuleni, the municipality next to Johannesburg, with many victims stripped naked or partially naked and battered before being dumped on the side of the road, hidden in fields, or thrown in a nearby river.
Bodies found near airport popular with British tourists
The bodies have been found around the O.R. Tambo International Airport, where more than 100 direct British Airways flights land from London every year. More than 400,000 British holidaymakers visited South Africa last year, and the country is a popular destination for honeymooners and safari trips.
Police probe possible links
Police are probing whether the cases are linked to a serial killer, Gauteng provincial commissioner Fred Kekana said. They said "the similarities are sufficiently concerning" to give a public warning. However, police have not revealed details of how the suspected serial killer operated.
Criticism of police handling
There have been criticisms of how the police have handled the case. According to Amnesty International South Africa, there is distrust in the country about the competency of the police, with hopes that media attention will force police to chase down the killer.
Paul O'Sullivan, an ex-murder cop, told The Sun it is a mistake not to release details. "One of the quickest ways to catch a serial killer is to publish their modus operandi," he said, adding that it "lets the killer know that you're onto him and it also warns the public as to the sort of things that they should look out for".
Overwhelmed detectives face high murder rate
Between 70 and 80 people are killed in the country every day, completely overwhelming detectives. As police are overworked, many murders are left unsolved. Only one in every 100 murders results in a conviction, according to O'Sullivan. He said: "Most homicide cops work alone. There's far too many murders to have two people working on each one."
