A serial rapist who ambushed at least six women walking home alone in north London is feared to have targeted many more.
Francis Mukendi, 27, was dubbed the ‘doorstep rapist’ as he targeted women once they reached their doorsteps or communal stairwells, and were distracted getting their keys out.
He would then approach them from behind with a weapon – on one occasion with a hammer and on others with a knife – and force them to perform oral sex on him.
Once he finished, or was interrupted, he would run away.
On at least two occasions, he even filmed his attacks and stored the videos and pictures on his Macbook computer.
These videos and images are why police believe he could have had more victims – and are appealing for them to come forward.
One clip shows a woman weeping as she was being raped in a hallway.
Following a six-week trial, Mukendi was found guilty at Wood Green Crown Court of four counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and four counts of possession of a bladed article.
He was given a life sentence last week with a minimum of 15 years behind bars relating to six rapes, which all took place in the Camden area between September 2017 and December 2019.
But police fear he has not seen justice for all of his crimes, and believe there could be women affected who have not had support.
They say he was ‘exceptionally forensically and digitally aware’ and managed to avoid capture for years by knowing where CCTV cameras were and wearing gloves to stop his fingerprints from being traced during his attacks.
The rapes went unsolved for several years until a renewed police appeal and the release of a CCTV still led to Mukendi, who posted on TikTok as ‘Raver Artist’, handing himself into police.
The Metropolitan Police have now launched an appeal to find more victims after reviewing over 100 hours of CCTV and footage discovered on his laptop and phone.
In one animated video posted on YouTube in 2020, Mukendi even rapped ‘I’m fed up. I ain’t had no sex so I’m stressed out.’
He assaulted his first victim in September 2017 by waiting for her by a doorway, telling her to get down on her knees and putting a knife on her neck.
The woman described feeling terrified as she was forced to perform oral sex on Mukendi as he pressed a knife to her throat before her flatmate opening her front door and scared the ‘doorstep rapist’ away.
He is known to have committed offences against six women, aged between 20 and 32. They all lived around the Camden area. All of the women reported the attack against them immediately.
When detectives searched Mukendi’s home address, they found clothing which matched that seen being worn by the suspect in the CCTV.
A laptop was also seized and although Mukendi had attempted to delete video footage he recorded of the attack on 21 September 2017, this was recovered.
A zombie knife and a lock knife believed to be used in the attacks were also recovered from his home address.
Detective Sergeant Sam Wood said: ‘I came across the CCTV image that ended up being circulated in the press.
‘I felt that image, as grainy as it’s been described, was clear enough for who knew the person or who was the person to know who it was.’
Detective Inspector Ross Murrell said: ‘Investigation of one allegation of this nature is significant and at a large scale. The reopening of five old ones is a massive investigation for us.
‘Because of the nature of the evidence found on his phone and laptop we strongly believe there are other victims who haven’t come forward.
‘To anyone who believes they are a victim we ask them to come and speak to us or to third parties like Haven or Rape Crisis.’
Paying tribute to the women who came forward, DS Wood added: ‘I cannot thank them enough for doing that. As a collective hopefully that bravery publicised will help other victims to come forward.
‘Even though there was a detailed investigation, without them coming to the court, he may not have been convicted.
‘Forcing the victims to reopen past trauma shows a propensity to be quite arrogant and have no forethought for any trauma he is going to commit
‘These women should be free to walk home at night and he has completely torn that from these women completely.
‘He has done this on their doorsteps. There are many layers of trauma that will have repercussions throughout their life.’
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