Talks have begun between the UK and Indonesia regarding the repatriation of Reynhard Sinaga, a serial rapist convicted of assaulting 48 men in Manchester. Sinaga, 41, was found guilty in 2020 of 159 offences committed between January 2015 and May 2017, and was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison.
Indonesia's senior minister for law and human rights affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, confirmed that discussions with the British government are at an early stage. He stated that the mechanism for repatriation will be decided later, potentially through a prisoner transfer or an exchange with a British prisoner held in Indonesia.
“No matter how wrong a citizen is, the country has the obligation to defend its citizen,” Yusril said, acknowledging the complexity of the negotiations. The British embassy in Jakarta noted that there is currently no prisoner transfer agreement with Indonesia, which would be required for any such transfer.
Sinaga's family has met with ministry representatives to request his repatriation. If returned, he would be jailed in a maximum-security prison in Indonesia. Under British rules, Sinaga is only eligible to apply for leniency after serving 30 years.
Sinaga, who had been in the UK since 2007, targeted young men who appeared drunk or vulnerable, drugging them with a sedative. The investigation into his crimes was the largest rape investigation in British legal history.
