The world’s most prolific rapist finally jailed for 60 years after his final victim ‘woke up’
Reynhard Sinaga, 36, was a man who painted himself as a good Samaritan, a man who offered young men a floor to sleep on for the night, and more booze to continue the party after nights out in the nightclubs near his flat in Manchester.
In reality, Sinaga was lacing these drinks with what is thought to be Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a drug which is used recreationally to reduce inhabitations, but carries a very high level of risk. The GHB would make the victims unconscious for the duration of the assault, and leave them with little or no memory of that period of time, hence why he has been so difficult to catch.
How did he get caught?
On the night of Friday 2nd June 2017 his final victim, a six foot tall, 13 stone 18 year old, had been partying at the nearby nightclub Factory Club, and had lost touch with his friends, Sinaga approached him outside, and suggested that he tries to contact them from inside his flat. The teenager said Sinaga “seemed like a friendly guy” so he took him up on his offer. Once inside Sinaga poured the man a drink, before the rugby player blacked out.
Hours later the man happened to regain consciousness, and found himself on the bathroom floor, with his trousers around his ankles, and Sinaga molesting him. The victim then proceeded to batter the rapist, leaving him with a bleed on the brain.
An ambulance was called, and the 18 year old was initially arrested for assault, while Sinaga was being treated in hospital for his injuries.
It wasn’t until Sinaga started to ask for his phone, which was found, and then giving the wrong passcode several times that the police started to get suspicious.
On finally opening the phone, the dreaded realisation hit. There was a collection of videos showing Sinaga raping, and sexually assaulting drugged men. On further searches of his flat, the police found another mobile phone containing a library of chilling videos, and further photographs of the victims laying naked on the floor of his flat.
Also found where various stolen items, a collection of horrifying souvenirs that he had kept from his victims. A phone, watch, driving licence and a restaurant tastecard where among the vile collection.
Sinaga seemed to be playing a game, as he would look up each victim on social media, and keep their details, like a collection of Pokémon cards.
The trial
You may wonder why you haven’t heard much about this case, even though the events happened a few years ago. The fact is, due to the sheer numbers of victims, there had to be 4 separate trails take place. There were reporting restrictions put in place to avoid prejudice and awareness for subsequent trials. The press getting involved could also deter many victims and witnesses from coming forward.
June 1st – July 10th 2018- Sinaga is trailed for the first time and convicted of 31 counts of rape, 3 counts of attempted rape and 6 counts of sexual assault.
April 1st – May 7th 2019 – The second trial included 49 counts of rap, 5 attempted rape and 1 sexual assault. Sinaga is jailed for 20 years.
September 16th – October 4th 2019 – Trial 3, 26 counts of rape, assault by penetration and 5 counts of sexual assault.
December 2nd – December 20th 2019 – Fourth trial, 30 counts of rape and 2 counts of sexual assault.
During the third and fourth trials, personal statements were read out from victims…
‘That night was just like any night out with my mates. What I didn’t know was that there was a monster lurking in the background waiting to take advantage of my drunken state.’
‘I want Sinaga to acknowledge what he has done to me and show some remorse but I doubt that will ever happen.’
Another victim said: ‘I genuinely thought he had helped me. How wrong could I be?
‘The day I gave evidence was the hardest day of my life. I have a message to you, Sinaga. I am not going to let you ruin my life. I am going to fulfil my career plans and live a happy, content life.’
Sinaga has been jailed for 60 years, to serve at least 30 of those years.
In a reaction to the sentencing, Home Secretary Priti Patel has requested a review of the controls of these recreational drugs. GHB is currently class C, and Patel is willing to challenge if the current regulations are tough enough.
The victims
Due to the nature of the alleged drug the victims were given, many of the victims have little to no memory of the offences taking place. The sick ‘catalogues’ of details that Sinaga kept has provided useful information when it came to tracking down many victims, but it is thought that there are still people out there who have been affected.
Bev Hughes, Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice, said: ‘Greater Manchester is a resilient place. We have undergone traumas in the past and, together, come through them. Sinaga is an appalling individual, who acted alone and is now off our streets.”
