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Detectives fear predatory sexual abuse may be the tip of the iceberg and 27-year-old could be one of Britain’s most prolific rapists
A Chinese national studying for a PhD in London may have drugged and raped more than 60 women during a five-year reign of terror, police have revealed.
Zhenhao Zou, who was a student at University College London, has been convicted of drugging and raping 10 women following a four-week trial at Inner London Crown Court.
However, detectives fear those offences may be the tip of the iceberg and that the 27-year-old could be one of Britain’s most prolific rapists.
Zou, the son of a wealthy Chinese businessman, came to Britain in September 2017 to study for an undergraduate degree at Queen’s University Belfast. Two years later, he moved to University College London where he embarked on an MSc and later a PhD programme.
There is no evidence to suggest he attacked women during his time in Northern Ireland but after moving to London he began a campaign of predatory sexual abuse.
Using dating apps and popular Chinese social media platforms including WeChat and Little Red Book, Zou invited young women out for a drink or back to his flat to study with him.
Most of his victims are believed to be from the Chinese community, with many being fellow students.
Filmed attacks to keep as ‘souvenirs’
Zou used drugs such as MDMA, butanediol, ketamine and Xanax to knock the women unconscious before raping them, often filming the attacks to keep as “souvenirs”.
Only two of his victims have been identified, but detectives have established from the video clips that there are at least 50 unknown women who were attacked by Zou.
About half of the attacks are believed to have taken place in one of Zou’s high-end flats in London, while the rest are thought to have occurred in China during visits home.
Following his convictions on the charges, the Metropolitan Police has begun an appeal in both Britain and China urging any women who believe they may have been targeted by him to come forward.
Despite Zou being a foreigner and some of the offences taking place overseas, he can be charged in the UK owing to a change in the sexual offences legislation.
Police fear that some of Zou’s victims may not be aware they have been raped because he attacked them when they were unconscious.
They are asking women who knew him socially from 2019 onwards to come forward and speak to specially trained officers in confidence. Scotland Yard has also set up a portal and a helpline manned by Mandarin speakers.
One of the Met’s ‘most complex investigations’
Det Ch Insp Richard Mackenzie, the senior investigating officer in the case, said it had been one of the most complex investigations ever conducted by Scotland Yard.
Officers had to examine more than nine million Wechat messages in Mandarin and watch more than 1,600 hours of video footage.
After the verdicts he said: “We’re now asking that anyone who thinks they may have been affected to come forward and speak to the police.
“Our message to potential victims is to please come forward to speak with us and we will robustly investigate.”
Det Ch Insp Mackenzie said all those who came forward would be offered professional support and would have a dedicated officer assigned to them.
He went on: “We are keeping an open mind currently about the identities of the victims. However, we are particularly keen to hear from women from the Chinese student community who may have met Zou in and around London between 2019 and 2024.
“We would also like to hear from potential victims who may have met him while he was living in China.
“They may have met him on online platforms, including student forums on Chinese social media apps such as Wechat or Little Red Book or they may have spoken to him on dating apps, such as Bumble.”
Personal items as ‘trophies’
Det Ch Insp Mackenzie said Zou was known to keep personal items from his victims as “trophies” such as pieces of jewellery or clothing so he was keen to hear from any women who had met Zou and were missing personal possessions.
He went on: “Due to the nature of his offending, we believe some of the women may not even be aware that they are victims. We do not underestimate how distressing and difficult it may be for them to read or hear about his crimes following his verdicts.
“We want to reassure those women that all reports will be fully investigated and dealt with with the utmost sensitivity and care and compassion.
“However, we also understand that not every victim may wish to speak to the police, so we have taken advice from the independent charity of rape crisis and they will be on hand to offer support to women who seek support via their 24/7 helpline.”
Zou grew up in the industrial city of Dongguang where his father worked in a state-owned company and his mother was a teacher.
While little is known of his early life he had access to considerable wealth, paying several thousand pounds a month in rent while in London for a luxury apartment in a new development in Elephant and Castle, south London.
When police raided the property they found a large quantity of designer clothes, luxury goods and expensive watches.
During his time in London, Zou underwent cosmetic procedures including having a hair transplant and work done on his eyelids and chin.
Detectives described him as being extremely social with a wide circle of friends and associates among the Chinese and student community.
However, in May 2023 he was arrested after a woman came forward claiming to have been raped by a man who had given her a large quantity of alcohol at his student flat in Woburn Place.
They also recovered a quantity of drugs including MDMA or ecstasy, butanediol, ketamine and Xanax.
While only two of Zou’s victims were identified, prosecutors were able to show that eight of the unknown women in the videos were unconscious when he had sex with them and therefore could not have consented.
Detectives were able to ascertain if the attacks had taken place in the UK or China by looking at items in the background including British plug sockets.
Despite having been in the UK for seven years and speaking perfect English, Zou chose to give his police interviews and evidence in court in Mandarin via a translator.
He claimed to have an interest in “time stop” pornography in which the females are passive and unresponsive.
He insisted the women in all the films had consented to sex and he denied rape.
A Chinese national studying for a PhD in London may have drugged and raped more than 60 women during a five-year reign of terror, police have revealed.
Zhenhao Zou, who was a student at University College London, has been convicted of drugging and raping 10 women following a four-week trial at Inner London Crown Court.
However, detectives fear those offences may be the tip of the iceberg and that the 27-year-old could be one of Britain’s most prolific rapists.
Zou, the son of a wealthy Chinese businessman, came to Britain in September 2017 to study for an undergraduate degree at Queen’s University Belfast. Two years later, he moved to University College London where he embarked on an MSc and later a PhD programme.
There is no evidence to suggest he attacked women during his time in Northern Ireland but after moving to London he began a campaign of predatory sexual abuse.
Using dating apps and popular Chinese social media platforms including WeChat and Little Red Book, Zou invited young women out for a drink or back to his flat to study with him.
Most of his victims are believed to be from the Chinese community, with many being fellow students.
Filmed attacks to keep as ‘souvenirs’
Zou used drugs such as MDMA, butanediol, ketamine and Xanax to knock the women unconscious before raping them, often filming the attacks to keep as “souvenirs”.
Only two of his victims have been identified, but detectives have established from the video clips that there are at least 50 unknown women who were attacked by Zou.
About half of the attacks are believed to have taken place in one of Zou’s high-end flats in London, while the rest are thought to have occurred in China during visits home.
Following his convictions on the charges, the Metropolitan Police has begun an appeal in both Britain and China urging any women who believe they may have been targeted by him to come forward.
Despite Zou being a foreigner and some of the offences taking place overseas, he can be charged in the UK owing to a change in the sexual offences legislation.
Police fear that some of Zou’s victims may not be aware they have been raped because he attacked them when they were unconscious.
They are asking women who knew him socially from 2019 onwards to come forward and speak to specially trained officers in confidence. Scotland Yard has also set up a portal and a helpline manned by Mandarin speakers.
One of the Met’s ‘most complex investigations’
Det Ch Insp Richard Mackenzie, the senior investigating officer in the case, said it had been one of the most complex investigations ever conducted by Scotland Yard.
Officers had to examine more than nine million Wechat messages in Mandarin and watch more than 1,600 hours of video footage.
After the verdicts he said: “We’re now asking that anyone who thinks they may have been affected to come forward and speak to the police.
“Our message to potential victims is to please come forward to speak with us and we will robustly investigate.”
Det Ch Insp Mackenzie said all those who came forward would be offered professional support and would have a dedicated officer assigned to them.
He went on: “We are keeping an open mind currently about the identities of the victims. However, we are particularly keen to hear from women from the Chinese student community who may have met Zou in and around London between 2019 and 2024.
“We would also like to hear from potential victims who may have met him while he was living in China.
“They may have met him on online platforms, including student forums on Chinese social media apps such as Wechat or Little Red Book or they may have spoken to him on dating apps, such as Bumble.”
Personal items as ‘trophies’
Det Ch Insp Mackenzie said Zou was known to keep personal items from his victims as “trophies” such as pieces of jewellery or clothing so he was keen to hear from any women who had met Zou and were missing personal possessions.
He went on: “Due to the nature of his offending, we believe some of the women may not even be aware that they are victims. We do not underestimate how distressing and difficult it may be for them to read or hear about his crimes following his verdicts.
“We want to reassure those women that all reports will be fully investigated and dealt with with the utmost sensitivity and care and compassion.
“However, we also understand that not every victim may wish to speak to the police, so we have taken advice from the independent charity of rape crisis and they will be on hand to offer support to women who seek support via their 24/7 helpline.”
Zou grew up in the industrial city of Dongguang where his father worked in a state-owned company and his mother was a teacher.
While little is known of his early life he had access to considerable wealth, paying several thousand pounds a month in rent while in London for a luxury apartment in a new development in Elephant and Castle, south London.
When police raided the property they found a large quantity of designer clothes, luxury goods and expensive watches.
During his time in London, Zou underwent cosmetic procedures including having a hair transplant and work done on his eyelids and chin.
Detectives described him as being extremely social with a wide circle of friends and associates among the Chinese and student community.
However, in May 2023 he was arrested after a woman came forward claiming to have been raped by a man who had given her a large quantity of alcohol at his student flat in Woburn Place.
Women in the videos were unconscious
Zou’s electronic devices, including a mobile phone and two cameras, were seized and examined and police were shocked to discover a cache of recordings which appeared to show a man having sex with a string of unidentified unconscious women, dating back to September 2019.They also recovered a quantity of drugs including MDMA or ecstasy, butanediol, ketamine and Xanax.
While only two of Zou’s victims were identified, prosecutors were able to show that eight of the unknown women in the videos were unconscious when he had sex with them and therefore could not have consented.
Detectives were able to ascertain if the attacks had taken place in the UK or China by looking at items in the background including British plug sockets.
Despite having been in the UK for seven years and speaking perfect English, Zou chose to give his police interviews and evidence in court in Mandarin via a translator.
He claimed to have an interest in “time stop” pornography in which the females are passive and unresponsive.
He insisted the women in all the films had consented to sex and he denied rape.
weird demonic shyt
he could probably smashed at least half on the regular.
