(CLO) Indonesia has begun negotiations with the UK to repatriate a serial rapist who once shocked the country.
Reynhard Sinaga, 41, was convicted in Manchester in 2020 of sexually assaulting 48 men, who he drugged after taking them back to his flat from bars and clubs in the city.
Reynhard Sinaga. Photo: The Crown Prosecution Service
A Manchester court ordered Sinaga to serve at least 30 years in prison for a total of 159 offences committed between January 2015 and May 2017.
Indonesia's senior minister for law and human rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Thursday that talks with the British government were still at an early stage.
He said the mechanism for carrying out this repatriation would be decided later, possibly through a prisoner transfer or an exchange with a British prisoner held in Indonesia.
"No matter how guilty a citizen is, the country still has the duty to protect its citizens," Mr. Yusril said.
“This is not an easy task,” he stressed that there were many issues that needed to be negotiated with the British Government.
The British embassy in Jakarta said on Saturday that Britain had no prisoner transfer agreement with Indonesia, and such an agreement would be a necessary condition for any prisoners to be repatriated.
Indonesia is also seeking the repatriation of Riduan Isamuddin, also known by his alias Hambali, who is accused of involvement in several deadly attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombings.
Under British law, Sinaga can only apply for a pardon after serving 30 years, Mr Yusril said.
Sinaga's family have met with the ministry to request his repatriation. If the British government agrees to let him return, he will be held in a maximum security prison. "Otherwise, he will cause new problems," said Yusril.
Sinaga had been living in the UK since 2007, often targeting young men who appeared drunk or vulnerable, sedating them and sexually assaulting them.
The investigation into Sinaga's case was the largest rape investigation in British judicial history.
Cao Phong (according to Reuters, The Guardian, BBC)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/indonesia-dam-phan-voi-anh-de-hoi-huong-ke-hiep-dam-hang-loat-post333579.html
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