British officials experienced what one source described as complete astonishment when Indonesian authorities attempted to link the release of a grandmother from death row with the repatriation of Britain's most prolific serial rapist.
The Stalled Prisoner Release
Lindsay Sandiford, a 69-year-old British national who had spent 13 years facing execution in Bali, was merely days from freedom when negotiations suddenly derailed. Indonesian officials unexpectedly demanded that the UK return Reynhard Sinaga, convicted of 136 rapes against young men in Manchester, as part of a prisoner exchange arrangement.
The grandmother, who had been sentenced to death in 2012 for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine, had already distributed her belongings to fellow inmates at Kerobokan prison and been informed of her specific flight details when the shocking demand emerged. Sandiford described how British diplomats were left 'gobsmacked' by the sudden change in position.
Britain's Firm Rejection
UK authorities immediately refused the proposed prisoner swap, insisting that Sandiford's release must remain unconditional. The standoff ultimately delayed the grandmother's return to Britain by eight months, with Sandiford only arriving at Heathrow Airport last weekend.
Reynhard Sinaga, a 42-year-old PhD student financed by wealthy parents, received a minimum 40-year sentence for 159 sexual offences committed between 2015 and 2017. His method involved targeting young men leaving Manchester nightclubs, luring them to his city centre flat, drugging them, and sexually assaulting them while recording the attacks on his mobile phone.
The serial rapist's capture occurred when an 18-year-old rugby player regained consciousness during an assault and managed to fight him off. Subsequent police investigations uncovered extensive video evidence of attacks predominantly against heterosexual men, many of whom only discovered they were victims when contacted by officers.
Political Dimensions and Personal Agony
The prisoner swap demand emerged in March as part of an Indonesian amnesty programme for vulnerable foreign prisoners. Sandiford, who suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, and mobility issues following years in confined conditions, described the additional eight-month delay as 'torture'.
Despite her personal ordeal, Sandiford expressed understanding of Britain's refusal to consider the exchange, stating: 'Sinaga is never going to get out. People in Britain would be horrified if they let him go.'
The case developed political dimensions when senior Indonesian minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra publicly expressed desire for Sinaga's return in February, though he never formally connected this to Sandiford's situation. Sinaga's parents, his father being a wealthy property tycoon and former banker, have reportedly lobbied government officials for their son's transfer to Indonesia to supposedly complete his sentence there.
Sandiford's cooperation with authorities following her arrest included participation in a sting operation that led to the conviction of three other Britons believed to be higher in the drug syndicate. Despite the prosecutor initially requesting a 15-year term, she received the death penalty while her accomplices received sentences ranging from one to six years.
The grandmother has now returned to Britain, reuniting with her son and grandchildren at a London hotel room arranged by a prisoner charity, finally concluding her 13-year nightmare in Indonesian custody.
