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Men and Boys Coalition statement on Reynhard Sinaga Ruling

On the 6th January 2020, Justice Goddard sentenced Reynhard Sinaga for 159 offences committed against 48 male victims, following a two-and-a-half-year investigation by Greater Manchester Police.

This case presents one of the most prolific and extreme cases of serial sexual assault in British legal history; made particularly unique due to the offences being perpetrated exclusively towards men. In this sense, it provides an important landmark for male victim-survivors of rape, and serves to challenge many of the damaging stereotypes around men, and male victim-survivors, including their existence, vulnerability, and needs following victimisation.

Perhaps most importantly, this case directly challenges the notion that men are invulnerable, and thus are not at risk of serious sexual assault. As such, it remains the position of the Coalition that a corresponding Intimate Violence Against Men and Boys (IVAMB) Strategy, alongside the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, is critical in tackling violence against men and boys in a gender-inclusive manner, and in ways that recognise their gendered vulnerabilities, risks, and needs.

The Coalition has profound admiration for the bravery of the young men whose courage in speaking out and giving evidence enabled this serial perpetrator to be brought to trial. It is our hope that the judgement provided today provides some sense of justice for Sinaga’s victims, and for male victim-survivors across the UK, and the world.

We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable work by Coalition member Survivors Manchester, who worked closely with authorities from the start of the investigation to ensure all the men and their families impacted by this case received appropriate and tailor-made support.

Finally, we want to highlight that help is available for men, and that there are a number of services waiting to listen and provide support.

They can be found here: https://www.malesurvivor.co.uk/support-for-male-survivors/ and https://www.survivorsmanchester.org.uk/