South African teen gets 4 life terms for racist murders

(CNN) -- A white teen convicted of murdering four blacks, including two children, in a racist killing spree in South Africa's North West province was sentenced Friday to four life terms in prison.

"I respect the court's decision, [but] we are going to appeal," the attorney for Johan Nel, 19, told CNN in a telephone interview. "We believe there is a possibility that the court made a mistake."

Nel, who was 18 when he committed the crimes in January, also targeted 11 others and was sentenced to 68 years for 11 counts of attempted murder. He also got five years for possessing a firearm and three years for possessing ammunition, the latter two without a license, Nel's attorney Frikkie Pretorius said.

He said his client missed when he shot at four of the 11 but managed to shoot and injure the other seven.

Pretorius said Nel killed a mother and the infant she was holding, a man in his 70s, and a 10-year-old boy. Aside from the mother and child, the people were not related.

Nel pleaded guilty to the crimes to avoid a trial, the lawyer said. In announcing the appeal, Pretorius contended the court refused to consider "compelling circumstances" that affected the crime. Pretorius said Nel was home-schooled and never learned to socialize with other children, especially black children. His upbringing played a major role, the lawyer said. He also said, however, that a psychologist told the court Nel was mentally competent.

Nel shot the victims on the street in the farming settlement of Skierlik, the attorney said. The BBC quoted witnesses who said Nel shouted racist slurs during the shootings.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/11/21/safrica.racial.killings/index.html