REYNHARD SINAGA SENTENCED IN MANCHESTER FOR 159 SEX OFFENCES, INCLUDING 136 RAPS
Reynhard Sinaga, a man convicted of committing 159 sexual offences, including 136 rapes, has been declared a danger that will prevent his future release, according to a judge.Sinaga, aged 36 and being identified publicly for the first time, manipulated at least 190 victims according to police evidence.
He lured men from outside Manchester nightclubs to his flat in Montana House on Princess Street, where he drugged and assaulted them, often filming the assaults.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) described Sinaga as "the most prolific rapist in British legal history." During a sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, the judge, Suzanne Goddard QC, announced that Sinaga’s life sentence would include a minimum term of 30 years.
Reporting restrictions on his identity were lifted at this hearing, allowing him to be publicly named.
Sinaga is already serving a life sentence with a minimum of 20 years for previous convictions from two earlier trials held in summer 2018 and spring 2019.
Across four trials, Sinaga, an Indonesian national and postgraduate student, was found guilty of 136 counts of rape, eight counts of attempted rape, 14 counts of sexual assault, and one of assault by penetration, involving 48 victims.
Authorities note they have been unable to identify an additional 70 victims and are urging anyone who believes they may have been targeted by Sinaga to come forward.
Judge Suzanne Goddard QC described Sinaga as "an evil serial sexual predator who has preyed upon young men" seeking "nothing more than a good night out with their friends." She stated, "In my judgment you are a highly dangerous, cunning and deceitful individual who will never be safe to be released," emphasizing that decisions regarding prisoner release fall to the Parole Board.
Sinaga would typically approach men leaving clubs and bars, often offering them drinks or assistance with taxis before leading them to his flat, where he drugged them before assaulting them while they were unconscious.
Many victims had no memory of the incidents upon waking.
Sinaga, who denied all charges, claimed that all sexual activity was consensual and that the men had agreed to be filmed as they pretended to be asleep.
The judge dismissed this as "ludicrous." It was also believed Sinaga used a date rape drug, such as GHB, a point acknowledged by the court and condemned by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who expressed concern over the drug's use.
Victims’ statements read in court highlighted the profound impact of Sinaga’s crimes; one stated he had "destroyed part of my life," another wished for his eternal imprisonment, and others described struggles with mental health and suicidal thoughts.
Many victims only realized they had been raped after police contacted them.
Lisa Waters from the St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre described how some victims found it "very difficult to process" the events, with some experiencing ongoing mental health challenges.
Sinaga had carried out his attacks over several years while studying for a PhD at the University of Leeds.
He was apprehended in June 2017 after a victim, regaining consciousness during an assault, fought him off and called the police.
Investigators discovered extensive recordings of Sinaga’s attacks on his phone, totaling hundreds of hours of footage.
This evidence prompted the largest rape investigation in UK history.
Detective Chief Inspector Mabs Hussain commented that the full scope of Sinaga’s offending might never be completely understood, estimating over ten years of offenses from trophies collected from victims.
Further evidence was obtained by tracing victims through clues found in Sinaga’s flat, including stolen phones, ID cards, and watches.
The University of Manchester stated that some of its community had been affected by the case and provided a confidential support line.
Vice-Chancellor Dame Nancy Rothwell expressed her distress and conveyed her sympathies to those affected.
Judge Goddard remarked on the "scale and enormity" of Sinaga’s offences, noting the description of him as a monster was fitting.
She added, "Sinaga has shown not a jot of remorse and at times appeared to be actually enjoying the trial process." Following sentencing, CPS representative Ian Rushton highlighted Sinaga’s position as "the most prolific rapist in British legal history," possibly even "in the world." He emphasized Sinaga’s "extreme sense of sexual entitlement" and suggested that he might have continued offending were it not for his arrest.
Rushton also pointed out Sinaga’s apparent particular targeting of heterosexual men.
In response to Sinaga’s crimes, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced she had requested an independent review to determine if current controls on drugs like GHB were adequate.
GHB, classified as a Class C drug, carries a prison sentence of up to two years for possession.
Sinaga’s trials spanned 18 months at Manchester Crown Court, resulting in unanimous guilty verdicts on all charges for offenses committed from January 2015 to June 2017, although authorities believe he was offending years prior.
