World’s worst rapist granted over £400,000 in legal aid after arriving from Indonesia and attacking almost 200 victims – The Sun
THE world's worst rapist was granted more than £400,000 in state legal aid, The Sun Online can reveal.
Reynhard Sinaga, 36, drugged and assaulted up to 195 men at his flat near Manchester city centre's gay village during a two-year reign of terror.
The depraved sex fiend was jailed for a minimum of 30 years on January 6.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Indonesian Sinaga was "the most prolific rapist in British legal history".
Figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed Sinaga racked up a bill of more than £400,000 since he was first arrested in June 2017 when one victim, who regained consciousness while being assaulted, fought him off and called the police.
The total includes £1,953.37 in solicitor costs while being held in custody, £112,176 for his first Crown Court trial in summer 2017, a further £21,270 for his second trial in summer 2018 and then £107,588 for his last hearing.
Another £158,023 was spent on barristers, bringing the total cost to £401,017.
Sinaga prowled the streets outside Manchester nightclubs targeting drunk young men who had been separated from their friends.
He lured them to his flat, then spiked their drinks with a date-rape drug, possibly GHB.
The rapist, who was studying for a PhD, picked up drunk and vulnerable men by posing as a "good Samaritan" and offering help, his trial heard.
Most were clueless they had been attacked and only two knew they had been raped when they were approached by police.
The court heard many of his victims had suffered "deep and lasting psychological harm", with one man attempting suicide.
Sinaga, a devout Catholic, boasted to pals of using a "secret poison" to make young, straight men "fall in love" with him.
He was only caught when one teen victim woke up while being abused in June 2017.
The 13st rugby player battered Sinaga putting him in hospital with a bleed on the brain.
His case has been referred under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, the Attorney General's office said.
Geoffrey Cox QC has until Monday to decide whether to seek a longer sentence.
In response, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Sinaga's crimes were truly sickening and it's right that he is behind bars.
"Criminals do not receive a penny of legal aid — payments are means-tested and sent directly to solicitors and barristers who represent them to ensure a fair trial."
Earlier this month we revealed how London Bridge terrorist Usman Khan was given more than £350,000 in legal aid to be represented for being part of a group that plotted to bomb the city's stock exchange.
The murderer, 28, was specifically given £12,000 of taxpayers' cash to appeal his sentence – allowing him to be free on licence from prison when he carried out the horrific attack.
Khan killed two people and injured three others before being shot dead by armed cops in November last year.
In 2012 Khan was sentenced to indeterminate detention with a minimum jail term of eight years after pleading guilty to preparing terrorist acts – which included him wanting to establish a terrorist military training camp in Pakistan.
We reported how the monster was handed £341,460 for being represented at court – £217,324 for a barrister and £124,136 for a solicitor.
In 2013 the Court of Appeal controversially quashed Khan's sentence – replacing it with a 16-year-fixed term of which half of which was to be served in prison.
He was given £12,000 in legal aid to successfully appeal. He was also handed £2,100 for a judicial review.
Six years later he went on to commit the horrific attack in which he killed Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23.
Despite the massive payouts to Khan the victims of terrorist attacks have had legal aid denied.
Families of the victims killed in the 2017 London Bridge attack were told it was not in the public interest for them to receive the funding.
Legal aid is granted after a "strict means test" is carried out on applicants.
The Legal Aid Agency says: "Anyone facing a Crown Court trial is eligible for legal aid, subject to a strict means test.
"Depending on their means, applicants for criminal legal aid can be required to pay contributions up to the entire cost of the defence."
DEPRAVED SEX FIEND
Anyone with information about the Sinaga case can contact Greater Manchester Police on 101.
Information can also be passed to police via the Major Incident Public Portal mipp.police.uk/ operation/06GMP19V24-PO2.
A number of organisations offer help to victims. For anyone who wants to seek support but does not want to talk to police, St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre can be reached on 0161 276 6515.
Survivors Manchester is available on 0161 236 2182 and the National Male Survivors Helpline can be contacted on 0808 800 5005.
Source: Read Full Article