Chinese student gets life in UK jail for 'campaign of rape'
LONDON, United Kingdom - A Chinese post-graduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China and suspected of having attacked more was on Thursday jailed for life by a London court.
Police in London say they have evidence to suggest he may have targeted more than 50 other women.
Serial rapist Zhenhao Zou, 28 -- described in court as "calculated and predatory" -- targeted young Chinese women whom he invited to his London flat for drinks or to study before drugging and attacking them.
Zou filmed nine of the rapes with hidden or handheld cameras, but only three of the 10 victims have ever been identified.
Sentencing him at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Rosina Cottage said there was "no doubt that you planned and executed a campaign of rape" that had caused "devastating and long term effects".
To the world he appeared "well to do, ambitious and charming" but this was a mask hiding a "sexual predator", she said.
He treated his victims "callously" as "sex toys" for his own gratification, and his desire to assert "power and control over women" meant that he would be a "risk for an indefinite period", she added.
Zou, wearing a dark suit and glasses, listened impassively in the dock to the sentence via a translator. He will serve a minimum of 22 years in jail, after accounting for time already spent in custody.
The former engineering student at University College London was found guilty by a jury in March of 28 offences including 11 counts of rape -- with two of the counts relating to one woman -- three counts of voyeurism and one of false imprisonment.
He was found guilty of raping three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2023.
He was also convicted of three counts of possessing butanediol -- an industrial solvent -- with intent to commit a sexual offence and 10 counts of possession of an extreme pornographic image.
- 'Prolific' rapist -
Victims told the sentencing hearing in impact statements of the psychological damage they suffered including nightmares, self harm and a sense of despair and isolation.
One recalled "wandering like a trapped animal trying to find an exit" after she was attacked.
"What happened that night is etched into my soul forever," she said, adding that Zou's family was "very powerful in China" and she feared he would "seek revenge".
After the sentence, Saira Pike of the Crown Prosecution Service described Zou as a "serial rapist and a danger to women".
"His life sentence reflects the heinous acts and harm he caused to women and the danger he posed to society."
Analysis of footage and web chats showed the former student's "meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes".
And Pike paid tribute to the "courageous women" who came forward to report his "horrific crimes" and whose evidence -- combined with his own videos -- helped secure his conviction and life sentence.
Since he was convicted, and following an international appeal by UK police, some 24 women had come forward to say they might have been sexually assaulted by Zou.
London's Met police have said they have evidence to suggest he may have targeted more than 50 other women and urged possible victims to come forward, adding that he had also studied in Belfast in Northern Ireland in 2017.
"Our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou," said Commander Kevin Southworth of the Metropolitan Police.
"Please come forward and speak with our team -– we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect." — Agence France-Presse
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Chinese student gets life in UK jail for 'campaign of rape'
LONDON, United Kingdom - A Chinese post-graduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China and suspected of having attacked more was on Thursday jailed for life by a London court. Police in London say they have evidence to suggest he may have targeted more than 50 other women. Serial rapist Zhenhao Zou, 28 -- described in court as "calculated and predatory" -- targeted young Chinese women whom he invited to his London flat for drinks or to study before drugging and attacking them. Zou filmed nine of the rapes with hidden or handheld cameras, but only three of the 10 victims have ever been identified. Sentencing him at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Rosina Cottage said there was "no doubt that you planned and executed a campaign of rape" that had caused "devastating and long term effects". To the world he appeared "well to do, ambitious and charming" but this was a mask hiding a "sexual predator", she said. He treated his victims "callously" as "sex toys" for his own gratification, and his desire to assert "power and control over women" meant that he would be a "risk for an indefinite period", she added. Zou, wearing a dark suit and glasses, listened impassively in the dock to the sentence via a translator. He will serve a minimum of 22 years in jail, after accounting for time already spent in custody. The former engineering student at University College London was found guilty by a jury in March of 28 offences including 11 counts of rape -- with two of the counts relating to one woman -- three counts of voyeurism and one of false imprisonment. He was found guilty of raping three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2023. He was also convicted of three counts of possessing butanediol -- an industrial solvent -- with intent to commit a sexual offence and 10 counts of possession of an extreme pornographic image. - 'Prolific' rapist - Victims told the sentencing hearing in impact statements of the psychological damage they suffered including nightmares, self harm and a sense of despair and isolation. One recalled "wandering like a trapped animal trying to find an exit" after she was attacked. "What happened that night is etched into my soul forever," she said, adding that Zou's family was "very powerful in China" and she feared he would "seek revenge". After the sentence, Saira Pike of the Crown Prosecution Service described Zou as a "serial rapist and a danger to women". "His life sentence reflects the heinous acts and harm he caused to women and the danger he posed to society." Analysis of footage and web chats showed the former student's "meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes". And Pike paid tribute to the "courageous women" who came forward to report his "horrific crimes" and whose evidence -- combined with his own videos -- helped secure his conviction and life sentence. Since he was convicted, and following an international appeal by UK police, some 24 women had come forward to say they might have been sexually assaulted by Zou. London's Met police have said they have evidence to suggest he may have targeted more than 50 other women and urged possible victims to come forward, adding that he had also studied in Belfast in Northern Ireland in 2017. "Our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou," said Commander Kevin Southworth of the Metropolitan Police. "Please come forward and speak with our team -– we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect." — Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
More floating drug packages found off Northern Luzon
Authorities continue to find floating packs of suspected shabu worth millions of pesos off the coasts of several provinces in Northern Luzon. After earlier reports in Pangasinan, new discoveries were made as far as Ilocos Norte and Cagayan. In Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, a resident found a plastic-wrapped package containing suspected shabu worth nearly P7 million. The packaging matched previous finds in Paoay, Laoag, and Currimao, plastic covers marked with the word "Durian" and Chinese characters. In Claveria, Cagayan, two sacks were also spotted floating in the sea. Inside were packets of suspected shabu labeled as tea. Authorities are still investigating the origin and possible source of the illegal drugs. Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 1 stepped up community patrols along coastal areas in Pangasinan following the discovery of "floating shabu" worth millions of pesos in recent weeks. PDEA personnel visited several coastal barangays to thank residents for reporting the contraband immediately. The agency also held an information drive to explain the dangers of drug smuggling. They urged communities to stay alert and cooperate with authorities in future incidents.
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
Pinoy spouses, children say goodbye to deported Chinese POGO workers
Filipino spouses and children bid farewell to Chinese loved ones who are Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers being deported back to China. In Saleema Refran's Tuesday report on '24 Oras,' alias 'Jacque' expressed worry for the Chinese father of her six-month-old baby. She said she plans to follow her partner to China. But for other Filipinos, it may be the last time they will see their Chinese loved ones. 'Bigyan po sila ng chance kung wala naman pong case na kasangkot ng mga iligal ganun. Pagbigyan po na mapalaya po,' alias 'Marie' said. (Give them a chance if they are not involved in illegal activities. I hope they will be freed.) At least 100 Chinese citizens are being deported to Shanghai, China. They were nabbed during the anti-POGO operation in scam hubs in Cebu, Cavite, Parañaque, and Pasay. The Chinese government paid for their fare to China without any layovers. 'Importante ito sa kanila dahil marami silang nakukuhang impormasyon dito sa bosses especially kung paano sila nag ooperate, saan sila nag ooperate at anu-anong mga sistema sa money laundering,' Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director Gilbert Cruz. (This is important to them since they get information about the bosses, especially on how and where they operate, and their system in money laundering.) Once the deported POGO workers return to China, they will undergo a thorough investigation since some were allegedly involved in large-scale crimes, where many fell victim to different scam hubs allegedly from the Philippines. These cases involved cybercrime, scamming, fraud, and money laundering. 'Ang pinag-uusapan natin dito, billions of dollars. Yung isang na-turn over natin na wanted person sa kanila, umaabot sa P900 billion ang kanyang nakulimbat o na money launder doon sa kanilang bansa,' Cruz said. (We're talking about billions of dollars. One person we turned over is a wanted person for a money laundering case in their country, which amounted to P900 billion.) The PAOCC said since the crackdown on POGO hubs was launched in 2023, about 4,000 people were arrested of whom 2,500 are foreigners deported to their respective countries. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration said it has fixed the delay in the other arrested POGO workers' deportation process. 'Ang main difficulty na lang natin ngayon hindi na yung NBI clearance. Dati kasi medjo ilang buwan pa yung binibilang, ngayon isang araw na lang. Ang magiging challenge ngayon, yung kanilang pasaporte,' BI spokersperson Dana Sandoval said. (The main difficulty we're facing right now is not the NBI clearance. Before, it was being processed for months, but now, it can be processed in one day. Our current challenge is their passports.) — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News
