Sinaga browbeaten at school by other Indonesians who labelled him effeminate

Reynhard Sinaga

JAKARTA: After a shock revelation that Reynhard Sinaga, an Indonesian student who was studying for a PhD in Manchester, was found guilty of sexually assaulting scores of men, and named the most prolific rapist in British criminal history, friends have come forward to reveal his difficult childhood in Jambi.

Born in 1983 as the first son of Saibun Sinaga, a businessman in the plantation and property sectors, he went to a popular Catholic elementary school that was attended by affluent families in Jambi city, the capital of the province of the same name. He studied from 1989 to 1998 before the family moved to Depok, West Java.

Lidya, a friend who went to the same private elementary school with him, remembered him as a smart student who loved reading books.

“Many people depended on him, ” she said.

She said she was not surprised to hear years later that Reynhard had attained three master’s degrees and was pursuing a PhD in the UK. What she did not expect was that he was capable of the harrowing crimes that had traumatised his victims in Manchester and their families.The 36-year-old was sentenced on Monday by a court in Manchester to life on 136 counts of rape, eight counts of attempted rape, 13 counts of sexual assault and two counts of sexual assault with penetration.

The court revealed that he preyed on men who were out drinking at bars near his apartment, some of whom were on their way home or waiting for friends, and lured them to his place, before he drugged and raped them. He had been committing his crimes for two-and-a-half years before the police arrested him in 2017.

Lidya accompanied the Post to an alley located within 15 minutes by foot from the school where Nani, one of Reynhard’s homeroom teachers, once resided.

“Reynhard was very close to Bu Nani. He often asked her about lessons, ” Lidya said. The teacher reportedly moved to Bandung, West Java, a few months ago.

Koko, another friend who also went to the same school with Reynard, recalled that he was often bullied by other students who called him bencong, a derogatory Indonesian term for effeminate men or transwomen.

“Some students bullied him because he often played with girls, ” Koko said, adding that he was also shocked about the revelation of the case.Although the Post had confirmed with Reynhard’s relatives that he went to the school, the school management denied that the convicted rapist went there.

Reynhard was born in Jambi as the first of four siblings, and his family is respected among the Batak clan of Sinaga. According to republika.co.id, he has a younger brother and two sisters. The family still lives in Depok, where they reside on premises covering 3.2ha. In the Batak community, a son plays an important role as they will inherit the name of their clan.

“He was his late grandmother’s favourite grandchild. Even though they rarely met, she often asked about Reynhard, ” a family relative, who only wanted to be called Arman, said.

Saibun told the BBC that he had accepted the verdict about his son.

“His punishment fits his crimes. I don’t want to discuss the case any further, ” he said.

Nova Riyanti Yusuf, a psychiatrist and former lawmaker, said there were signs that the serial rapist was a psychopath, although the symptoms must be investigated further. — The Jakarta Post/ANN