Latest news with #UniversityCollegeLondon
RTHK
5 hours ago
- RTHK
Chinese post-grad student gets life for rape spree
Chinese post-grad student gets life for rape spree Zou Zhenhao is suspected to have targeted 50 more women on top of the 10 he had raped in the UK and China. File photo: Reuters A Chinese post-graduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China and suspected of having attacked more has been jailed for life by a London court. Police in London say they have evidence to suggest Zou Zhenhao might have targeted more than 50 other women. Described in court as "calculated and predatory", Zou, 28, targeted young Chinese women whom he invited to his London flat for drinks or to study before drugging and attacking them. He 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. 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. (AFP)
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Chinese PhD student who drugged and raped 10 women asked to be chemically castrated in bid to avoid jail time
A Chinese PhD student who drugged and raped 10 women asked to be chemically castrated in an attempt to avoid going to prison. Zhenhao Zou, 28, was yesterday jailed for a minimum of 22 years for the vile attacks during his time studying at University College, London. Following his conviction in March, detectives revealed they had evidence relating to suspected attacks on another 50 women in the UK and China after uncovering a sickening collection of trophy videos kept by the engineering PhD student as a souvenir. Now a further 24 victims have come forward saying they were raped by Zou while he was studying in the UK. The fiend filmed some of his victims helpless and stupefied in sick home videos that he kept of his attacks. Inner London Crown Court heard that Zou had offered to be chemically castrated to avoid a life sentence. But Judge Rosina Cottage said he would always be a risk to the public because of his 'sexual interest' in 'asserting power and control over women', adding that the victims were just 'pieces in an elaborate game'. Jailing him for life, she said: 'The charming mask hid the fact that you are also a sexual predator.' Chemical castration of paedophiles and other sex offenders is currently being piloted in south-west England, and includes taking two drugs, one to limit sexual thoughts and the other to reduce testosterone and limit libido. Chemical castration is voluntary in Germany, France, Sweden and Denmark, and some sex offenders actively seek it out. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood recently announced the existing pilot would be expanded to 20 prisons. Victims told yesterday how they were 'haunted' by what Zou had done to them as a judge said he had treated unconscious women like 'sex toys' for his own pleasure. The son of a wealthy Chinese Communist Party official and industrialist, Zou stalked student bars, accommodation and online dating apps looking for victims, plying unsuspecting women with drinks laced with drugs. He lured the women back to his lavish student apartment in East London with the promise of a party or help with studies, before stupefying them with drink and drugs until they fell unconscious, enabling him to film his sickening attacks on hidden bedroom spy cameras. One victim, whom Zou had described as 'the perfect girlfriend choice', recalled waking in a strange room after going to a drinking party in 2021: 'I experienced for the first time a loss of consciousness. 'I opened my eyes for a few seconds during the sexual assault in his room, he was thrusting violently against my body. I was completely powerless and could only use all my strength to demand he stop. 'Although I lost consciousness just moments later, his face in that moment will clearly stay in my mind forever.' She later awoke naked lying next to him: 'Panic surged through me-everything about the room I was in was unfamiliar and I had no memory of how I got there. 'That night, it was as if the world had vanished from my life for hours. 'Everything in this world- my memories, time, even my own body- no longer felt like mine. Overwhelmed by fear, my only thought was to escape. A Tinder profile where the student appears under a different name 'Stumbling out of his room, I found myself in a completely unknown place. I didn't know where I was or how to leave. The memories of that night were fragmented- I only recall wandering like a trapped animal, desperately searching for an exit. 'For over a week afterward, I locked myself in my bathroom, consumed by terror, confusion, anger, and shame.' She added: 'I still can't read news about him or see his photo without feeling sick... 'To this day, I struggle to trust anyone. I avoid new friendships, trapped in the aftermath of what he did. 'Words will never fully convey the depth of this wound. But one thing is certain: what happened that night is etched into my soul forever. His face, his expression-they will never leave me. 'I will never forgive him.' Disturbingly, many of the women targeted may not realise they had been raped as some of Zou's home videos showed his captives so incapacitated that he was able to slap one victim around the face without them rousing. Zou unwittingly left a treasure trove of evidence for officers by recording the attacks for his own twisted gratification and hoarding personal items stolen from victims, ranging from underwear and lipstick to a Chanel earring. The bedroom in Zou's flat, where he chillingly boasted that 'the sound insulation is very good' By the time of his trial, only two of the 10 rape victims had been identified by police, but now detectives have traced a third victim. Detectives have established from the video clips seized that there are at least another 50 unknown women attacked. One victim said the attack in his London flat in May 2023 had a 'severe impact' on her mental health, resulting in her self-harming to try to manage the pain. 'I have no trust in others. Before this incident, I was not aware that a human could do such evil things,' she said in her victim impact statement. 'I am in so much mental agony and pain. I am not sure anything will help what I have gone through. 'When I heard that he had been found guilty, I was very pleased but even more pleased as I knew that women were safe, and there would be no more victims who would have to go through what I have gone through. 'When I see his image I am overcome with fear. 'I know his family is very powerful in China, and he may blame me for ruining his what was a potentially prosperous future. I believe he would confront me and seek revenge by doing horrible things. 'I fear if he is released he will commit the same crime again, I do not think he has learnt his lesson, or ever will.' A hidden spy camera that the rapist used to record his crimes The judge said of her case: 'Outrageously, she was trolled on social media for having bravely warned others. It has rocked her to her core, she feels guilt for your behaviour, you (Zou) feel no shame.' Another victim in China described being 'gagged by shame' and 'haunted' by nightmares following the attack. Yesterday, jurors who had earlier wept on seeing the distressing rape videos, returned to Inner London Crown Court to see him sentenced. Bespectacled Zou, smartly dressed in a navy suit and tie, stared at jurors, showing no emotion as he was jailed. Scotland Yard began investigating Zou in November 2023 after a woman reported him for rape. When officers examined his digital devices, they uncovered more than 1,600 hours of videos. Victims living in Britain, China, Australia, the Middle East and Europe have since come forward. Chillingly, Zou said the victims in his videos were only pretending to be asleep as he enjoyed 'time-stop' pornography. But officers believe the sexual deviant is one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders after Reynhard Sinaga and Black cab rapist John Worboys. Sinaga, 42, was convicted of 159 sex attacks on 48 heterosexual men in Manchester between 2015 and 2017. Worboys, 67, was convicted of 19 sex attacks against 12 women between 2006 and 2008. Zou was convicted in March for raping three women in London and seven victims in China between September 2019 and May 2023. He was also convicted of 11 counts of rape, three counts of voyeurism, 10 of possession of an extreme pornographic image, one of false imprisonment and three of possession of a controlled drug with intent to commit a sexual offence, namely butanediol. Saira Pike, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Zou is 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.' The Metropolitan Police is appealing to anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by Zou to contact the force either by emailing survivors@ or via the major incident public portal on the force's website.
HKFP
6 hours ago
- HKFP
UK court sentences Chinese student to life in prison for ‘campaign of rape'
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.' LATEST FROM HKFP Schools must be national security 'gatekeepers,' gov't says after principal warns against US consulate event Gov't vows strict vetting of applications for event subsidies, performance venues to prevent 'soft resistance' UK court sentences Chinese student to life in prison for 'campaign of rape' Hong Kong proposes registration of subdivided flats from March 2026 to phase out 'substandard' living spaces
NBC News
6 hours ago
- NBC News
Chinese Ph.D. student sentenced to at least 24 years in prison for raping multiple women
LONDON — A British judge on Thursday sentenced a Chinese Ph.D. student to a minimum of 24 years in prison for drugging and raping 10 women in England and China. Zhenhao Zou, 28, was convicted of the attacks, which took place from 2019 to 2023, during a four-week trial earlier this year at Inner London Crown Court. Judge Rosina Cottage on Thursday described Zou as a 'very bright young man' who used a manipulative 'charming mask' to hide that he is a 'sexual predator.' Zou was studying for a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at University College London in 2023 when the first woman came forward to allege that he had raped her. As part of the investigation, police seized Zou's phone, on which they found videos of him raping unconscious women. A search of his apartment in south London turned up sedatives and recording equipment. The investigation into Zou's crimes continues, and at least 24 women have come forward with new allegations as a result of the publicity surrounding his trial, London's Metropolitan Police Service said. Taken together, the cases would make him one of the worst sex offenders in U.K. history. Zou, who also used the name Pakho online, befriended fellow students of Chinese heritage on dating apps and WeChat, before inviting them for drinks and drugging them at his apartments in London or an unknown location in China. Using hidden or handheld cameras, Zou filmed nine of the attacks as 'souvenirs,' and he kept a 'trophy box' of his victims' belongings, according to evidence presented at trial. Zou, who claimed the encounters were consensual, was also convicted of three counts of voyeurism, 10 of possessing an extreme pornographic image, one of false imprisonment and three of possessing a controlled drug with intent to commit a sexual offense. He was handed a life sentence and must serve a minimum of 24 years in prison. Prosecutor Saira Pike praised the victims who came forward to report Zou's 'horrific crimes.' 'They have been incredibly strong and brave,' Pike said. 'There is no doubt that their evidence helped us to secure his conviction, and the life sentence handed to him today.'
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Vatican-backed report seeks financial reform to avert decades of lost development
FILE PHOTO: A woman carries sack of charcoal, as she walks down a busy street, in Jamestown in Accra, Ghana December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo LONDON - A commission launched by the late Pope Francis has outlined financial reforms it says could help to avert decades of lost development in poor countries that face onerous repayments as global public debts reach record levels. The Jubilee Commission report is published ahead of the once-a-decade United Nations Financing for Development Conference that takes place in Seville, Spain, later in June. The environment for this jubilee-year campaign could hardly be more different from the last - 25 years ago - that yielded billions in historic debt forgiveness. Mariana Mazzucato, a University College London professor and member of the commission, said today's debt crisis was symptomatic of "a broken investment model". "The solution has to be public investment strategies that build productive capacity, domestic value added and sustainable fiscal space," she said. The report recommends measures including more debt suspension initiatives and steps to ensure money from institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, does not end up flowing from countries to private creditors. It also urges legal changes in London and New York - the jurisdictions for most bond contracts - to disincentivise creditors from refusing to take part during debt restructurings. After the debt forgiveness that followed the previous jubilee campaign, many developing countries, freed of their existing debt, turned to more expensive private lending, and China's lending ballooned. As a result, countries including Sri Lanka, Zambia and Ghana slid into default. A wave of sovereign defaults unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic - and exacerbated by the pressure of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a global rate-hiking cycle that boosted borrowing costs - largely crested last year. But the commission said dozens of countries are still squeezing spending to repay debt - with long-term implications for development and social cohesion. Average interest costs for developing countries as a share of tax revenues has almost doubled since 2014, while 3.3 billion people - and more than half of Africans - live in countries that spend more on debt service than health. The system, the commission's leaders said, traps countries in a cycle in which private lenders send cash when times are good - but quickly shut off access when global risk re-emerges. When lenders of last resort, such as the IMF, send money, the commission said that money often goes towards repaying creditors to avoid default. Martin Guzman, commission co-chair and Argentina's ex-Economy minister, said that created a problem for both creditors and debtors. "They don't come to the table with the right conditions for engaging timely and sustainable restructurings, and that aggravates the development crisis," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
