Reynhard Sinaga who was jailed for 30 years for 159 counts of sexual offenses against 48 men will now spend an extra 10 years behind bars.
Today (Friday 11 December 2020) the Court of Appeal ruled that Reynhard Sinaga’s sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum of 30 years would be extended a further 10 years. This means that Sinaga, who was previously convicted of 159 counts of sexual offences against 48 different men, will serve a minimum of 40 years before being considered for release instead of his original sentence of 30 years. Today is a milestone and an extensive sentence – the longest sentence given in a rape case.
Is it thought that there could be many more victims of Sinaga’s assaults. Police have suggested that they believe there to be at least 206 victims, 60 of whom are currently unidentified.
Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain said: “We welcome today’s ruling and are very pleased that Sinaga will be behind bars a further 10 years. From speaking to many of his victims, we know that many will be comforted by this outcome and feel that the extension reflects the heinous nature of the crimes committed.
“At the very heart of this case has always been the victims and supporting them through their horrific ordeal. The bravery that these men continue to show has been nothing short of incredible and we, alongside partners such as St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre and Survivors Manchester, will continue to offer as much support as possible to the victims and help them in every way we can.
“Since reporting restrictions were lifted in January 2020, a number of reports were made to our dedicated incident room from people who were concerned they may have been a victim of Sinaga. As a result of this, we have been able to identify a further 23 of Sinaga’s victims. Like many other victims, the majority of these men had been enjoying nights out in Manchester City Centre before being preyed on by Sinaga as they made their way home. We are continuing to offer these men our full support and help them in any way we can.
“As a result of further evidence coming to light, our investigators now believe that Sinaga committed sexual offences against 206 men. We are yet to identify around 60 of these men and would urge anyone who thinks they may have been a victim to please get in touch with us. If you don’t feel like you want to speak to police, specialist support services are widely available with organisations such as St Mary’s SARC and Survivors Manchester.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to all of those who have contributed. First, a thanks to our investigation team whom I am incredibly proud of and have had to endure watching the most sickening of video evidence, which was created by Sinaga himself. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our partners, including representatives from the NHS, health and support services, whose top priority has always – and will continue to be – the victims.
“We hope the work of the investigation team sends out a clear message that Greater Manchester Police is committed to investing time and resources into bringing those who carry out sex offences to justice. We also hope it demonstrates our firm commitment to working alongside specialised partner agencies in order to provide victims with any support they need. We will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice.”
If you have been affected by this case or believe that you may have been a victim of Reynhard Sinaga, then please contact police or specialist support agencies using the contact details below.
All reports made to police will be fully investigated and Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.
Information can be passed to police via the Major Incident Public Portal https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP19V24-PO2 or by calling 101. The MIPP will also provide contact details for support agencies to anyone who accesses it.
For anyone who wishes to seek support but does not want to talk to police, St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre can continue to be reached on 0161 276 6515 and Survivors Manchester can be contacted on 0161 236 2182.
