handcuff
A man was arrested for allegedly chopping off a 55-year-old's penis and throwing it in a laundry basket in South Africa. This is a representational image of a handcuff attached to a fence on Dec. 1, 2018 in Tijuana, Mexico. John Moore/Getty Images

A 55-year-old man is fighting for life after his penis was chopped off in a horrific attack in Limpopo, South Africa. Local police said the man was found by a passer-by, naked and bleeding.

The victim was in "agonizing pain"after his penis was chopped off and disposed of in a laundry basket.

“The police were called and reacted swiftly, but by the time they arrived at the scene, the victim had already been taken to a hospital," police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, said according to the Sun. "Preliminary investigations led police to the suspect’s house at Bolahlakgomo, where the severed private part were found placed in a washing basket."

“The suspect was not found at home, but a manhunt was immediately launched,” Ngoepe added.

After a search, the unidentified 27-year-old suspect was found and arrested at a wedding in the village. Local media reports said that the suspect had a murder case reported against him and also a case related to malicious damage to property.

The suspect is due to appear in court within a week on an attempted murder charge.

The victim, who has not been named, remains in a critical condition in the hospital. Apart from his penis being hacked, the man also suffered multiple stab wounds during the attack.

"The motive for this brutal attack is unknown at this stage,” Ngoepe said. “Police investigations are continuing.”

Doctors are still assessing their options as to whether they can reattach the severed penis back onto the victim's body. The procedure is reportedly very delicate and has rarely been performed.

In another horrific incident, a woman was charged in November 2018, with murder for killing a man before hacking off his penis and his eyelids and leaving them on the mantle piece. The incident took place in Dublin, Ireland.

The victim was found in a pool of his own blood at a house on a leafy estate in the Irish capital. Grace Miano, 50, who lived at the address where the victim was found, was arrested.

In October 2017, a Florida man who flew to Chicago to cut off the penis of his ex-girlfriend's new lover was arrested and his bail was set at $1 million. The man reportedly confronted the 26-year-old victim on the street and hit him in the head with a tire iron. He then carved initials into his leg before cutting off the man's genitals.

Foster threw the man's penis over a fence before driving off to the airport to board a flight. Media reports said at the time that the victim suffered permanent brain damage but survived the incident.