In a chilling account, two women who reported being drugged and raped by prolific sex offender Zhenhao Zou admitted that their attacks happened within just 24 hours of each other. The first alleged victim, referred to as Rachel, expressed shock upon learning of the second attack, stating she felt guilt for not reporting her own assault sooner.
Initially, Metropolitan Police detectives investigating Zou's offenses questioned whether the two women might be the same person, as the incidents shared striking similarities in both timing and description, suggesting Zou's audacity in committing such acts back-to-back.
He was getting away with it, so he wanted to do it more and more, said a source familiar with the investigation.
Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual violence.
Zou, a Chinese national, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 24 years in June after being convicted of drugging and raping ten women—three in the UK and seven in China—from September 2019 to May 2023. All the victims appear to have been Chinese.
Following his trial, police expressed concern that Zou might have assaulted up to 50 more victims. In total, 24 additional women have come forward since his initial conviction, including those directly impacted by the incidents discussed here.
Rachel, who met Zou during a night out in October 2022, described the horrific details of her experience. She stated that Zou provided her with a whisky cocktail that rendered her incapacitated. During this time, she made attempts to call out for help, but Zou prevented her from reaching anyone by taking her phone.
Soon after Rachel's assault, Zou targeted a second woman, referred to as Female D, who was similarly raped shortly after spending time with Zou on the same night. She later contacted police in the UK after discovering his conviction.
Police investigations into Zou are ongoing, with an appeal to other potential victims to come forward. Detectives acknowledged the significant extent of his offenses across two continents, labeling him one of the most dangerous sexual offenders in their records.
