Reynhard Sinaga: ‘UK’s most prolific rapist’ could have prison sentence extended, attorney general says
Indonesian student's 30-year minimum jail term challenged under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
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A court is to consider increasing the prison sentence given to a man believed to be Britain's most prolific rapist.
Reynhard Sinaga was given a minimum term of 30 years for 136 counts of rape earlier this month.
The court heard that the Indonesian student lured 48 male victims to his Manchester flat while posing as a good Samaritan, before drugging them with spiked drinks and attacking them.
Complaints over Sinaga’s sentence were made under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which allows anyone to ask for punishments for certain crimes to be reconsidered.
The attorney general, Geoffrey Cox, said: “After carefully considering the details of this case, I have decided to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal.
“Sinaga carried out an egregious number of attacks over a prolonged period of time, causing substantial pain and psychological suffering to his victims.
“It is now for the court to decide whether to increase the sentence.”
Police initially counted 195 victims in videos that Sinaga took of himself carrying out the assaults while they were unconscious, including many who have not been identified.
Detectives from Greater Manchester Police are attempting to speak to 70 potential victims, and said more people who may have been abused by Sinaga had phoned a dedicated helpline after he was jailed.
Judge Suzanne Goddard QC said the true scale of Sinaga’s “perverted” crimes may never be known. Detectives from Greater Manchester Police were attempting to speak to 70 potential victims who had not yet been identified, and said more people who may have been abused by Sinaga rang a dedicated helpline after he was jailed.
“I am unaware of any other case of sexual offending of this scale and magnitude,” she told the 36-year-old when passing sentence on 6 January. “The true scale of your offending may never be known.”
Details of the case, the UK’s largest ever rape prosecution, were made public when reporting restrictions were lifted after the end of four trials.
Sinaga was already serving a life sentence at HMP Manchester for convictions in the first two trials, but his minimum term was increased to 30 years when the last one concluded.
Manchester Crown Court heard how he went out in the early hours of the morning looking for drunk young men who were alone around nightclubs near his flat.
His victims – mostly heterosexual – had little or no memory of the assaults, and he was only caught after a man regained consciousness and fought him off.
The court heard that many victims suffered from trauma and lasting psychological damage, including two who had attempted suicide.
Sinaga was found guilty of a total of 159 offences committed between January 2015 and May 2017 – 136 counts of rape, 14 counts of sexual assault, eight counts of attempted rape and one count of assault by penetration.
His mother, Normawati Sinaga, has claimed she did not know her son was gay and believed his victims had made up the story.
She added: “We are a good Christian family who do not believe in homosexuality. He is my baby.”