A man who was allegedly found with 21 pieces of female genitalia in his freezer has appeared in court.

Peter Frederiksen, 63, a Danish man living in South Africa arrives in the dock ahead of his bail application.

Frederiksen was arrested back in September after 21 mutilated vaginas were allegedly found in his home.

Surgical equipment and anaesthetic drugs were also said to have been found in the property.

It’s believed his wife, 28-year-old Anna Matseliso Molise, told police he drugged her and cut off private parts of her anatomy while she was incapacitated.

She was due to testify but was gunned down and killed while leaving her house last month.

Police believe most of the victims are from the Lesotho area.

Frederiksen, said to own a gun shop, allegedly sedates victims before performing the illegal operations, a police statement said.

It is not clear if the severed vaginas were removed when the women were alive – or indeed if they would have survived the attacks.

Masilea Langa, a police spokeswoman, said that Frederiksen had kept a clear and organised record of every body part he had removed since his first victim in 2010.

The gun shop owner was arrested after the body parts were found in plastic freezer bags, confirmed police spokesman Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi.

Mr Mulaudzi said one of the victims alerted authorities and police have since appealed to any other women who may have been assaulted by the man to come forward.

He faces charges of sexual assault, intimidation and breaking South Africa’s medical laws.

A police investigation was launched enlisting the help of a forensics team.