A Chinese postgraduate student, Zhenhao Zou, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday by a London court after being found guilty of drugging and raping 10 women across the UK and China, with suspicions he may have attacked many more.
Police in London believe Zou, 28, could have targeted over 50 women in total. Described in court as “calculated and predatory,” Zou specifically preyed on young Chinese women, inviting them to his London flat under the pretence of drinking or studying before drugging and sexually assaulting them.
During the trial, it emerged that Zou recorded nine of the assaults using hidden or handheld cameras, yet only three of his 10 identified victims have come forward publicly.
At the sentencing hearing at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Rosina Cottage condemned Zou’s actions as a deliberate and prolonged “campaign of rape,” which caused “devastating and long-term harm” to his victims.
She noted that while he presented himself to the outside world as an ambitious and charming individual, this was a deceptive facade masking his identity as a dangerous sexual predator.
The judge emphasised Zou’s callous treatment of his victims as “sex toys” for his gratification and highlighted his desire to exert power and control over women, concluding that he poses a continuing risk and must serve a minimum of 22 years in prison, accounting for time already served.
Zou, formerly an engineering student at University College London, was found guilty in March by a jury on 28 charges, including 11 counts of rape (two relating to a single victim), three counts of voyeurism, false imprisonment, and possession of an industrial solvent used for drugging.
His offences took place between 2019 and 2023, involving three victims in London and seven in China. Additionally, he was convicted of possessing extreme pornographic images.
Victims shared impact statements detailing profound psychological trauma, including nightmares, self-harm, and feelings of despair and isolation. One woman described her experience as “wandering like a trapped animal” after the assault and expressed fear of retaliation from Zou’s influential family in China.
Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Saira Pike described Zou as a “serial rapist and a danger to women,” underscoring that his life sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and the threat he posed to society. The prosecution praised the bravery of the victims who came forward and whose testimonies, supported by Zou’s video evidence, secured his conviction.
Following the verdict and a UK police international appeal, 24 additional women have reported possible assaults by Zou. Authorities suspect he may have targeted over 50 victims and urge others who believe they were attacked by him to come forward. Zou also studied in Belfast in 2017.
Commander Kevin Southworth of the Metropolitan Police stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and encouraged victims to approach police, assuring them of compassionate treatment.
