A Chinese student who drugged and raped women in the UK and China was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday. The serial rapist is feared to be one of the worst sexual offenders in British history. According to The New York Times, a senior British police officer said this case involved "one of the most prolific predators we've ever encountered,"
The student identified as Zou Zhenhao (28) was convicted of attacks on 10 women in England and China. According to the police, he was arrested for drugging and filming himself raping women between 2019 and 2024 He lured them to his flat with invitations to study or have drinks. However, investigators said they had identified 50 further victims in videos he recorded using cameras in his homes.
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What Judge Said
Judge Rosina Cottage announced that Zou would serve a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years before he can be considered for release. During the hearing, Judge Cottage said, "You are a very bright young man, you appeared to the world to be well-to-do, ambitious and charming, but that charming mask hid the fact you were a sexual predator," who showed no reaction as the sentence was announced. The judge also said that he posed a “significant risk” and had an “abiding sexual interest in asserting … power and control over women”. The Newyork Times- The judge stated that some of the victims of Zou had sent him messages challenging him about what he had done, but that he had "gaslit" them by telling them they were willing to have sex.
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What Victims Said In Court
During the sentencing hearing on Thursday, statements of three of his victims were read aloud, and they mentioned suffering long-term psychological damage. One woman said she was "consumed by terror, confusion, anger and shame" after she regained consciousness after an attack. Since his conviction, more than 20 women have come forward to police, and still more remain unidentified, with police fearing there may be dozens more.
About Zou
Zou was born in Guangdong province, China. He came to the UK in 2017 to study at Queen’s University Belfast. In 2019, he started his master’s degree at University College London. He sometimes travelled back to China. By January 2024, when he was arrested, he was doing a PhD in mechanical engineering.
The court was told that Zou used social media and dating websites to find his victims. He used the name "Pakho" online. He invited young women, often Chinese students living alone, to his flat for studying or a drink.
When police arrested him at his flat in the Elephant and Castle area in January 2024, they found 1,664 hours of video. This included 58 recordings of rapes filmed with hidden cameras. Police also found designer clothes, a Rolex watch, and a box that may have held “souvenirs” from his victims.