23 more women make allegations against serial rapist

More Women Accuse Convicted Serial Rapist Zhenhao Zou

London – In a developing story, twenty-three additional women have approached law enforcement with fresh accusations against Zhenhao Zou, the convicted serial rapist. Zou, a Chinese PhD candidate, was found guilty in London last month for drugging and sexually assaulting ten women across multiple continents. The unfolding investigation reveals a potentially wider scope of offenses.

Police disclosed at the conclusion of his trial that video evidence recovered, self-recorded by Zou, suggested up to fifty further potential victims remain unidentified. Authorities have been actively seeking to locate these women. Detectives now suggest that Zou’s victim pool is believed to be “far greater” than initially anticipated.

Warning: The following article contains descriptions of sexual violence.

Two women, among those who recently contacted police with new allegations, have also shared their accounts with the BBC World Service. One woman recounted being raped by Zou in his Chinese hometown after he allegedly spiked her beverage, leaving her conscious but unable to move or speak. Another woman reported being drugged by Zou in London, waking up to discover him filming himself sexually violating her.

The BBC also spoke with two women whose testimonies were crucial in Zou’s conviction. Zou is scheduled for sentencing in June. “Had I spoken out sooner, perhaps fewer women would have become victims,” one of the women stated.

These women express grappling with feelings of guilt, now aware of the extensive number of women Zou has assaulted.

Accounts of Drugging and Assault

One of the women making new accusations, identified as Alice, told the BBC that Zou assaulted her in London in 2021. However, she only felt able to report the incident to the police after his trial concluded the previous month. “I was unaware this was something I could even report,” the Chinese national explained.

Alice recounted initially meeting Zou while socializing at a London club with fellow Chinese students. The group exchanged contact details on WeChat, a widely used social messaging application.

Shortly after, a mutual acquaintance invited Alice for drinks at Zou’s upscale student residence in Bloomsbury.

She recalled observing two liquor bottles on the table, both already opened and partially consumed. She and her friend began sharing drinks from one bottle, while noting Zou exclusively drank from the other.

Alice stated her friend, usually tolerant to alcohol, became intoxicated rapidly and appeared to lose consciousness on the floor. Alice also experienced a sudden and intense onset of intoxication.

“Typically, when you consume too much alcohol, there’s an initial period of feeling good. But that night, I immediately felt overwhelmingly dizzy and tired,” she recounted.

Zou convinced her, citing her intoxicated state, that it was unsafe for her to take a taxi home, suggesting she rest in his bedroom. She agreed, reassured by the presence of her friend still in the apartment.

Alice’s next memory is of awakening to Zou removing her trousers.

“I stopped him immediately,” she asserted, describing how she then noticed a light emanating from a mobile phone above her, realizing to her horror that he was filming her.

Alice detailed attempting to leave the bedroom but being forcefully “yanked back from the doorway”. She explained Zou used significant force to restrain her, causing her to “cling to the door frame with both hands”.

Only when she threatened to scream for assistance did he release her, she reported. Zou then instructed her not to “make a big deal” out of the situation or involve the police.

Zou contacted Alice via WeChat the following day, making no reference to the previous night’s events. He invited her to dinner, but she ignored his advances, and they never communicated again.

Alice confided in a small circle of close friends but did not pursue the matter further.

“I believed, firstly, that evidence was necessary. And secondly, that a substantial crime needed to have occurred before police intervention was justified.”

Alice recounts seeing Zou’s face again nearly four years later in media reports, after his arrest by police.

Sarah Yeh, a trustee at the Southeast and East Asian Women’s Association in London, highlights the difficulties faced by foreign nationals in reporting sexual offenses in the UK.

“It can be incredibly daunting for any individual from overseas to experience the trauma of rape and then have to navigate the British legal system, the NHS, or even access victim support services,” she stated.

Yeh elaborated that such individuals may lack understanding of their rights and available resources, and may be concerned about potential repercussions, negative impacts on their academic pursuits, familial shame, and potential legal challenges.

Approximately a year after Alice’s alleged assault, she learned from a male friend in London, “Jie,” that he also knew Zou but had severed contact upon discovering Zou’s practice of spiking women’s drinks.

Jie told the BBC he “was not surprised at all” upon hearing of Zou’s conviction.

“Many friends at the time were likely aware of [Zou’s actions]. I suspect some of our female friends also knew,” Jie commented.

Jie recounted an incident where he inadvertently drank from another person’s glass at a party in 2022, subsequently feeling “unwell” and “extremely sleepy.” Zou then confessed to him that he had spiked the drink, intending it for a woman at the party.

Jie further claimed Zou later showed him a small bag of drugs and proposed “collaboration.” Jie interpreted this as Zou seeking assistance in identifying women to drug. Jie states he refused.

The BBC questioned Jie about his initial continued association with Zou and his failure to report Zou to the police. Jie explained they shared many mutual friends, making social avoidance difficult. He affirmed that he did warn his friends about Zou, advising them to avoid associating with him due to his drugging of people.

Jie expressed his aversion to recalling these memories, citing this as the reason for not contacting the police himself, adding that he believed the women’s testimonies would suffice for Zou’s conviction.

Ultimately, Jie asserted he did sever all ties with Zou.

Another young woman, “Rachel,” has communicated with police in both London and China since Zou’s trial. She alleges she was drugged and raped by him in 2022 in Dongguan, his hometown in Guangdong province.

Rachel informed the BBC she went on a date with Zou after meeting him online. She believed they were going to a bar, but instead arrived at his residence – a large villa he described as one of his family’s numerous properties.

Rachel stated that Zou, with his back turned, mixed her a green-colored cocktail. They began a drinking game, and she soon experienced a sudden “wave of dizziness.” Rachel reported to UK police that Zou led her to a bedroom, where she became unable to speak or move, and subsequently raped her.

She considered reporting to the police the following day but decided against it. She feared difficulties in proving non-consent. “It’s challenging for me to demonstrate that agreeing to go for drinks at his place was not an indication of consent to sexual activity,” she explained.

She added that Dongguan is a small city, and there was a considerable risk that people she knew – her parents, relatives, and colleagues – would discover the incident and perceive her as “indiscreet.”

The BBC has reviewed Rachel’s statement to UK police. She expresses a desire for her story to be heard now, to encourage more victims to come forward, and to advocate for Zou’s prosecution in China as well as the UK.

Commander Kevin Southworth, leading public protection at the Metropolitan Police, informed the BBC that officers are actively processing the 23 potential new cases. He indicated that some individuals are “definitely distinct” from those identified in Zou’s confiscated secret footage or from the initial charge cases.

“This underscores the fact that his victim pool is substantially larger than we initially recognized,” he stated.

A second trial for the convicted rapist remains a possibility, and there is “certainly a basis” for discussion with the Crown Prosecution Service, given the increasing number of women coming forward, he added.

Victims Identify Zou Through Social Media Warning

The BBC also interviewed the only two victims police were able to identify prior to Zou’s trial. Both are Chinese nationals who were studying in London. The women connected on social media after one of them, Beth, shared her experience online.

Beth was raped by Zou in 2023 and initially attempted to report the crime to the Metropolitan Police shortly after the assault. However, she ultimately decided not to proceed, feeling uncertain about UK law and discouraged by her initial interaction with the police, which included a flawed translation of her emergency call.

“At that time, I didn’t know [Zou’s name]. I didn’t have his address, I could only provide general details,” she explained.

Out of frustration, Beth posted a warning on social media detailing her experience. Another Chinese student, “Clara,” recognized “immediately” that this was the same man who had drugged and raped her following a night out in London’s Chinatown two years prior.

Clara stated every detail in Beth’s post resonated with her experience: “He speaks with a Guangdong accent, projects an honest demeanor, and wears a Rolex Submariner watch.”

The women began communicating online, and Beth encouraged Clara to report her assault to the police.

Months later, police contacted Beth to inform her they were reopening the investigation. Clara had come forward.

Police discovered a video featuring Beth on Zou’s seized electronic devices.

The Met has since acknowledged shortcomings in their initial handling of Beth’s allegations.

“We are committed to preventing situations where victims feel their concerns are not being taken seriously or, even worse, disbelieved,” stated Commander Southworth. He added that enhanced training is being implemented for all frontline officers.

Clara described a positive experience with the British police. As she was hesitant to travel to London for the trial due to potential family awareness, the Met dispatched two officers to China to assist her in providing video evidence remotely.

Commander Southworth noted the Chinese authorities’ assistance to the officers, stating they have been collaboratively working with the Met and are “very supportive.”

“I hope this offers reassurance to victim-survivors globally that it is safe to come forward.”

Beth, who testified in court in London, shared that she only later realized that she and Clara were the sole two women whose testimonies contributed to Zou’s conviction.

“For a long time, I felt like I wasn’t a significant part of the case against Zou,” she confessed.

She is now relieved she testified and encourages other women to report their experiences.

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