Selva Kumar: The M'sian Man Once Dubbed ‘Canada’s Worst Serial Rapist’

Here’s the story of how a Malaysian man became one of the most notorious sex offenders in Canadian history.

He was sent to Canada for being ‘too much to handle’

Unlike other criminals who had a rough start in life, Selva Kumar Subbiah was the opposite.

Born in Penang, he was the third of four siblings. Selva grew up in a wealthy, education-focused family. His father was a senior officer with the Penang Education Department, while one of his older brothers was a primary school teacher. Selva reportedly attended the prestigious Penang Free School.

In 1980, Selva was sent to Canada as a student. It was reported that he was sent abroad because his family found him to be "a handful."

There, Selva reportedly married a Canadian woman who later extended his visa. However, the marriage didn’t last long and ended in divorce.

His criminal reign

It is unclear when exactly Selva began preying on women or what triggered him. But what was clear was his modus operandi.

According to reports, Selva used aliases such as Richard Wild and Ryan Hunter. He claimed to be a Hollywood talent scout who had worked with celebrities like Michael Jackson, a professional dancer, a lawyer, or a diplomat.

To make his façade more believable, or to make it harder for victims to identify him, Selva faked a British accent and wore emerald green contact lenses.

By the time Toronto police apprehended him, it was alleged that Selva had drugged, sexually assaulted, and photographed an estimated 1,000 victims.

Deported back to Malaysia after serving 24 years in prison

In 1992, an Ontario court found Selva guilty of 19 counts of sexual assault, 28 counts of drugging his victims, 10 counts of various assaults, and 12 other charges including extortion.

Following his conviction, Selva was sentenced to 24 years in prison. However, prison authorities noted that Selva was unrepentant. He reportedly struggled with empathy, showed little remorse, and refused to take full responsibility for his actions.

It was also reported that during his time in prison, Selva resisted treatment and continued to deny causing serious harm to his victims.

Despite these concerns, Selva was released from prison on January 29, 2017. Immediately after his release, Canadian authorities placed him in the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). He was deported to Malaysia and arrived on February 5, 2017.

Barred from entering two Malaysian states

Upon his return, the Sabah government barred Selva from entering the state.

Considered a high-risk individual, Selva was not welcomed in Sabah due to concerns he could pose a danger to the public, especially women and children.

Following Sabah’s lead, Sarawak also announced that Selva was barred from entering the state.

“Malaysia needs to understand that he is a repeat offender and a violent man.”

The news of Selva’s release hit especially hard for survivors. One of them was Susan Chapelle, a Canadian woman Selva raped in 1991 when she was 22.

Despite the years that have passed, Chapelle said she could never forgive Selva for his crimes.

“If it was only myself, and a mistake that had been rehabilitated, I would be able to forgive. But I cannot forgive a man who serially drugged, raped, and photographed women,” she said.

In an interview, Chapelle stressed that Selva’s release should be treated with caution and urged Malaysian authorities not to forget what he had done.

Although Selva served his time, Chapelle expressed doubt about his rehabilitation.

She also shared that many of Selva’s victims had reached out to her. Many were still suffering from trauma and feared being judged, a sentiment Chapelle herself experienced in the early days after her assault.

“When I first told my family in the '90s, it was too hard. So I kept it to myself until I became a city councillor. That’s when I realised, as a politician, it is my place to be a woman and to be strong, to advocate for services.”

Chapelle wasn’t the only one who believed Selva hadn’t changed. Brian Thomas, a retired police officer who investigated Selva, also warned Malaysians that Selva still poses a threat.

“If he were to stay in Malaysia, or God knows where, even at his age, will he continue? Yes. We have to remember, this is not about sex. It’s about power and control, and he had total power and total control over his women,” Thomas said.

Selva kept a book where he ‘rated’ his victims

In an interview, Thomas described Selva’s case as the worst he had seen in his 30-year career. He recalled a moment when Selva nearly convinced a 13-year-old girl whom he tried to procure for prostitution to commit suicide by jumping off a rooftop.

“If I were to rate how dangerous Selva is on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d put him at 15.”

Thomas also recalled the raid on Selva’s house, where police discovered photographs and videos of victims, along with several books, one of which contained ratings of each victim.

Aside from luring victims himself, Selva had a female accomplice known as “Laura.”

It was reported that Laura, who also came from an affluent background, approached young women and invited them to work for her boss—who turned out to be Selva.

Laura was not charged, as she agreed to testify against Selva in court.

Where is Selva now?

Since returning to Malaysia in February 2017, there has been no clear record of Selva’s whereabouts. However, a report from November that year claimed Selva had started a new life in the United Kingdom.

According to sources close to his family, Selva is living with a relative in London.