A CHINESE postgraduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a London court.
Zhenhao Zou, 28, was jailed on Thursday after being found guilty of multiple offences. Police say there is evidence he may have targeted more than 50 other women.
Zou targeted young Chinese women, inviting them to his flat in London under the pretext of studying or having drinks, before drugging and assaulting them. He filmed nine of the rapes using hidden or handheld cameras. Only three of the 10 victims have been identified so far.
‘Planned and executed a campaign of rape’
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”.
She said that while Zou appeared “well to do, ambitious and charming”, this image masked a “sexual predator”. He had treated his victims “callously” as “sex toys” for his own gratification, she said, and posed a “risk for an indefinite period” due to his desire to assert “power and control over women”.
Zou, wearing a dark suit and glasses, listened to the sentence via a translator. He will serve a minimum of 22 years, taking into account time already spent in custody.
A former engineering student at University College London, Zou was found guilty in March of 28 offences. These included 11 counts of rape, three counts of voyeurism, one count of false imprisonment, three counts of possessing butanediol with intent to commit a sexual offence, and 10 counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
He raped three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2023. Two of the rape charges related to one woman.
Victims speak of trauma
Several victims gave impact statements during the sentencing, describing the psychological effects they continue to suffer. These include nightmares, self-harm, and isolation.
One woman said she remembered “wandering like a trapped animal trying to find an exit” after the attack.
“What happened that night is etched into my soul forever,” she said. She added that Zou’s family was “very powerful in China” and that she feared he would “seek revenge”.
Police appeal for more victims to come forward
After the sentencing, Saira Pike from the Crown Prosecution Service said Zou was 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,” she said.
She said that analysis of footage and online chats had shown the former student’s “meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes”. Pike also praised the “courageous women” who came forward and whose evidence, along with Zou’s own videos, helped secure his conviction.
Since his conviction, 24 women have come forward following an international police appeal, saying they believe they may have been assaulted by Zou.
The Metropolitan Police believe there may be more victims and have appealed for them to come forward.
Commander Kevin Southworth said, “Our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou.”
“Please come forward and speak with our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect.”
Zou also studied in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2017.
(With inputs from agencies)
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