Indonesian serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga attacked in UK prison, man charged: Report

Indonesian serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga, currently serving a life sentence in a UK prison, was allegedly attacked by an inmate, British media outlets reported on Tuesday (Dec 17).

Jack McRae appeared in Leeds Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Sinaga in HMP Wakefield on Jul 4, 2023, the BBC reported.

Sinaga was jailed in 2020 after raping more than 190 men in Manchester over two and a half years. He would drug them before sexually abusing them while filming the attacks.

McRae, 32, appeared in court via video-link and was remanded in custody. He is set to appear before the city's crown court on Jan 16, 2025.

He faces other charges, including three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of attempting to cause actual bodily harm and one of assaulting a prison officer, the BBC reported.

These incidents are said to have happened at HMP Wakefield, a prison in West Yorkshire, between May and August 2023.

When contacted by CNA, UK's Ministry of Justice said it cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

Sinaga was sentenced in 2020 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years for 159 counts of sexual offences. Police said then that they found evidence linking him to more than 190 victims.

In January this year, Greater Manchester Police told CNA that they believe Sinaga committed offences against 212 men, around 60 of whom remain unidentified.

On Dec 11, 2020, the Court of Appeal extended his jail term from a minimum of 30 years to 40 years.

Sinaga's case was separated into four trials. The court heard how Sinaga, who was then studying for a PhD at Leeds University, "prowled the streets" for victims, often having a "template" to prey on young men who were drunk or lost.

He led his victims back to his flat by offering them a place to rest or to charge their mobile phones.

Once they were in his flat, he would give them drinks laced with drugs that would make them unconscious.

When they finally regained consciousness and found themselves in bed, they were unaware they had been raped by Sinaga.

The Indonesian student had remained unknown to police until one victim woke up during an assault and fought him off, before reporting it to the police.

Investigators found in his possession 3.29TB of graphic material of the sexual assaults. One video showed an assault lasting eight hours.

"To the rest of the world, he came across as an engaged member of society who was studying for a PhD qualification and had a small circle of law-abiding friends that he would socialise with," a Greater Manchester Police officer said in 2020.

"However, beneath that facade was a serial sex offender, who we now believe to be Britain’s most prolific rapist."