⚠️ Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual assault, which may be distressing. Please take care while reading.
A man who preyed on intoxicated people in Manchester’s Gay Village has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of raping a woman and two men.
Sid Ali Djelid, an Algerian national also known as Mourad Malki, will serve a minimum of 16 years behind bars following his attacks on revellers in and around Canal Street between February and July 2024.
Pattern of Predatory Attacks
During a five-week trial at Manchester Crown Court, jurors heard how Djelid approached intoxicated individuals, offering to help them before luring them to secluded areas. There, he raped them and stole valuables, including phones, jewellery, and bank cards.
He admitted to robbing all three victims but denied sexually assaulting the men, and falsely claimed that his female victim had consented.
At the time of his crimes, Djelid was living in a rented terrace house in Cheetham Hill, around two miles from Canal Street. Police tracked stolen phones and bank card usage back to that neighbourhood. CCTV and DNA evidence ultimately linked him to the offences.
He was arrested after returning to Canal Street, where bouncers recognised him from a police appeal.
Prosecutor Emma Kehoe told the court:
“This is a series of attacks by one man who lies in wait for individuals vulnerable through intoxication and easy prey for a man intent on targeting and attacking individuals to gain both possessions and sexual gratification from the attacks.”
Survivors Speak Out
One male survivor shared the devastating personal impact of the assault:
“I felt ashamed that I was a man who had been raped by a man. I felt disgusted and suicidal and struggled to sleep. I did not feel like a human being any more. I have not recovered from the trauma, and I will never be the same person again. He broke me inside when he raped me, and I have continuing nightmares about him.”
Police Urge Other Victims to Come Forward
Greater Manchester Police believe there may be further victims who have not yet come forward. Djelid has also been accused in connection with two additional male assaults in April 2024, although those offences remain unproven.
Djelid previously served two years in a German prison for theft before moving to the UK. Authorities expect he will be deported to Algeria after completing his sentence.
A Troubling Parallel
Manchester has faced another high-profile case in recent years. In 2019, Reynhard Sinaga was sentenced to life in prison after drugging and raping as many as 190 men in the city over a two-year period — a case dubbed the work of “Britain’s worst rapist.”
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