LONDON: A Chinese PhD student, who drugged and assaulted 10 women in both the UK and China, has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 24 years, on Thursday (Jun 19).
During the sentencing, UK judge Rosina Cottage remarked that to the outside world, Zou Zhenhao, 28, seemed “well-educated, driven, and charming,” but in reality, he was concealing a “sexual predator” beneath that facade.
Zou was convicted of 28 offenses, including 11 counts of rape, three counts of voyeurism, 10 counts of possessing extreme pornographic material, one count of false imprisonment, and three counts of possessing drugs intended for sexual crimes.
Throughout the four-week trial, prosecutors provided evidence that showcased Zou as a serial rapist who exploited social media and dating sites to find his victims.
After luring them to his homes in London and China, he would drug them prior to assaulting them. Zou also recorded these rapes using a mobile phone and hidden cameras.
Authorities discovered numerous videos documenting these assaults.
“Zou is a serial rapist and a significant threat to women. His life sentence serves as a testament to the horrific acts and suffering he inflicted on women, as well as the risk he posed to society,” stated prosecutor Saira Pike.
