‘He showed no remorse’ - WMCA welcomes Ackerman life sentence

Gerhard Ackerman was sentenced in the Johannesburg High Court on Monday.

After raising his hand to get Judge Mohamed Ismail’s attention during the handing down of sentence, Ackerman confirmed he had fired his attorney and proceeded to announce that he would lodge a petition for a retrial.

Speaking candidly with reporters, Ackerman said he would prove his own innocence.

“I’m innocent on most of the charges, if not all of them, and I’m not going to reveal if there’s something I am guilty of. That’s stupid,” he said.

Ackerman maintained he was merely “helping” his young victims.

“If a boy comes to you and he says he’s been put out of his house because his parents find out he’s gay [and asks] can I take him in and help him? I didn’t tell them to go do sexual stuff. I always told them not to do that.

READ: Gerhard Ackerman convicted of rape, sexual exploitation

Judge Ismail said he found Ackerman deliberately exposing some of his victims to HIV, by sending them to be sexually abused by deceased lawyer Paul Kennedy, as an aggravating factor.

One of Ackerman and Kennedy's young victims contracted HIV and had been placed on high dosages of ARV treatment as a result. 

The 53-year-old was charged and convicted of eight counts of attempted murder in this regard.  

“You are by no means a humanitarian or caring person. In fact, you’re a plainly evil man,” the judge said.

“I find no substantially compelling reasons which would commit me to deviate from the prescribed sentences. Mr Ackerman, you're sentenced to 12 life sentences. You’re sentenced to five years imprisonment on each of the attempted murder counts, I order that the sentences for the eight counts of attempted murder should run concurrently.”

WMACA's Miranda Jordan said a life sentence sends a strong message that the accused destroyed lives, in this case, the lives of many young boys.

“You can never justify destroying children’s lives. We completely conquer with Judge Ismail that Ackerman’s, who’s a plainly evil man, denials of facts, impact, and responsibility showed a psychologically ruthless and compassionless man.”

Jordan also had this to say about Ackerman's conduct during the long-running trial.

“He showed no remorse through this process, tried to present himself as the victim and not as the victimiser.”

Ackerman has until November to file his application for retrial.

In a separate matter, which was being heard in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court, Ackerman faces charges related to the alleged assault of an 11-year-old boy in 2018.

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