UK PhD student accused of raping 10 women

(CLO) A PhD student at University College London (UCL) was convicted by a UK court on March 5 of raping 10 women.

The defendant, Zhenhao Zou, 28, used dating apps such as WeChat to approach the victims, inviting them to his home for drinks, then drugging and sexually assaulting them at his flat in London or unspecified locations in China.

Zou used the WeChat app to get to know the victims. Photo: X

Zou flew back to China just days after a woman accused him of rape in November 2023. When he returned to London in January 2024, Zou was arrested.

A jury found Zou guilty of the rapes of three women in the UK and seven women in China, which took place between 2019 and 2023.

Police discovered that Zou had filmed nine rapes and kept the victims' personal belongings as "souvenirs". More worryingly, only two of the victims have been identified.

Most of the women in the video evidence were unconscious, suspected to have been drugged by Zou. These videos became important evidence to help convict Zou.

In addition to the rape charge, Zou was also convicted of possessing extreme pornography, illegally possessing butanediol (a drug commonly abused in rape cases), and false imprisonment.

Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC described Zou as a "dangerous sexual predator" who appeared intelligent and charming but in reality exploited women to commit crimes.

Zou moved to London in 2019 to pursue a master's degree before enrolling for a PhD in mechanical engineering at UCL.

The case has raised concerns about the safety of women using dating apps, and British authorities are also considering tightening controls on drugs that could be used in sexual assaults.

Cao Phong (according to DW, The Guardian, BBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nghien-cuu-sinh-tien-si-o-vuong-quoc-anh-bi-buoc-toi-cuong-hiep-10-phu-nu-post337290.html