A UK court has convicted 28-year-old Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou for drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China over four years. Zou recorded nine of the assaults as personal trophies. Only two victims have been identified so far.
Between September 2019 and May 2023, Zou, a University College London (UCL) student, targeted fellow Chinese students through social media and dating apps. Using the alias "Pakho," he gained their trust, invited them for drinks, and then drugged and assaulted them. Seven of these rapes took place in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One victim testified that she was raped at Zou's Elephant and Castle residence on May 18, 2023. She tried to leave but was forcibly detained. After consuming alcohol, she attempted to escape, only for Zou to drag her back inside and force her to drink a large glass of vodka before assaulting her.
Another woman pleaded with Zou to stop before losing consciousness. A video played in court captured her desperate cries: "I really don't want... I beg you, don't do this."
The court found Zou guilty of multiple charges, including rape, voyeurism, false imprisonment, and possession of extreme pornography. He admitted to watching videos depicting sex with unconscious women, stating that he was particularly aroused by rape fantasies. He even boasted about having "five new sexual partners every month."
Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC described Zou as a deceptive predator who appeared "smart and charming" but was, in reality, a "persistent sexual predator, a voyeur, and a rapist." She said, "He was a wolf in sheep's clothing and every woman's nightmare. He is a serial rapist and a predator who used drink or drugs to incapacitate women."
Authorities fear Zou may have more victims. Metropolitan Police Commander Kevin Southworth stated that video evidence suggests up to 50 more women may have been assaulted. "Many victim-survivors may not even know that he has raped them," Southworth warned. "This man may well turn out to be one of the most prolific sexual predators that we've ever seen in this country."
Zou first arrived in the UK in 2017 to study at Queen's University Belfast before moving to UCL in 2019.
