Rapist may have attacked scores of women, say police

A serial sex predator is suspected of raping more than 60 women while studying in London, as the Met Police launch an urgent appeal for victim-survivors.

- HOLLY EVANS

Zhenhao Zou, 28, has been convicted of raping 10 women between 2019 and 2023 by drugging them during social encounters, raping them at his flat, filming the encounters and keeping twisted souvenirs such as jewellery and underwear from his victims. An investigation into his offending discovered a trove of material on a number of mobile devices and cameras totalling more than 1,660 hours of footage, which has led police to conclude that a large number of victims remain unidentified.

Describing the UCL PhD student as “one of the most prolific and substantial” sex offenders the Met have come across in recent years, his true number of victims remains unknown as investigators continue to trawl through 6.5 terabytes of data seized from his devices. It was discovered that his pattern of offending would regularly include speaking to women online, before inviting them to his student flat at Woburn Place or his luxury apartment in Elephant and Castle on the pretext of studying or socialising.

He would give them a spiked drink before sexually assaulting and raping them. Secret cameras were hidden around the room to capture his actions. During his trial at Inner London Crown Court, Zou told jurors that his favourite kind of pornography was “time-stop”, which features women who are immobile or asleep.

“It was after analysis of graphic and disturbing material held on his device that we were able to uncover the scale of his offending,” DCI Vanessa Britton said. “We believe there may be more than 60 other women who may be victim-survivors and are not yet identified by the police.”