Student who drugged and raped 10 women gets life

A PhD student suspected of being one of the UK's worst sex offenders has been jailed for life after drugging and raping 10 women in London and China.

- HOLLY EVANS

Zhenhao Zou, 28, filmed his harrowing attacks on his unconscious victims. Only two of the women have been identified and the other eight have yet to be traced.

The Chinese national, who had been studying at University College London, kept a trophy box of women's belongings, which included a red lipstick, earrings and different hair bobbles and clip-on hair extensions.

His victims have told of being "haunted" by his attacks on them, with one saying she had "lost faith in human beings", and another adding that she had been left with severe physical and psychological distress.

Since his conviction, 24 women have contacted the Metropolitan Police to say they think they may have been attacked by him.

After a month-long trial, Zou, who was most recently living in Elephant and Castle, southeast London, was found guilty of raping three women in London and another seven in China between September 2019 and May 2023.

He was convicted of 11 counts of rape, with two of the offences relating to one victim. During his trial, jurors in the case were forced to watch the disturbing footage, which left some in tears.

Zou was also convicted of 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.

He will serve a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years behind bars, after being branded a "sexual predator” by Judge Rosina Cottage. She said that Zou "planned and executed a campaign of rape", treating the women "callously" and as "sex toys" for his own pleasure, which had "devastating and longterm effects".