Police are interesting for greater than 50 extra victims to come back ahead after one of many nation’s most prolific intercourse offenders was discovered responsible of drugging and raping 10 ladies.
Chinese language PhD pupil Zhenhao Zou, 28, filmed 9 of the assaults as “souvenirs”, and stored a trophy field of girls’s belongings, Interior London Crown Courtroom was instructed.
Warning: This text comprises particulars of sexual offences
Jurors discovered him responsible of 11 counts of rape towards 10 ladies, three in London and 7 in China, between 2019 and 2023. Two of the victims have been recognized and one other eight have but to be traced.
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Zhenhao Zou. Pic: Met Police
The Metropolitan Police consider Zou might be the “most substantial and prolific offender we’ve come across in recent times”, chargeable for many extra crimes.
Police consider greater than 50 different ladies might have fallen prey to the engineering pupil, which might make him one of many worst intercourse offenders the UK has seen.
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Police enchantment for victims to come back ahead. Pic: Met Police
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Police query pupil rapist
Officers have video materials exhibiting ladies who haven’t been recognized and consider round 25 of these victims have been raped within the UK and round 25 in China.
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All of them are of Chinese language heritage and an enchantment is being launched for these ladies to come back ahead from that group.
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The trial heard Zou stored a ‘misplaced property field’ full of girls’s belongings. Pic: Met Police
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A discreet digital camera belonging to Zou. Pic: Met Police
The mechanical engineering pupil was additionally convicted of three counts of voyeurism, 10 of possession of an excessive pornographic picture, one in all false imprisonment and three of possession of a managed drug with intent to commit a sexual offence, specifically butanediol.
He was cleared of two additional counts of possession of an excessive pornographic picture and one in all possession of MDMA with intent to commit a sexual offence, and 4 counts of possession of medication with intent to commit a sexual offence.
Zou – who first moved to Belfast in 2017 to review mechanical engineering at Queen’s College earlier than shifting to London in 2019 – confirmed no seen response because the verdicts have been learn out in court docket.
Catherine Farrelly KC, prosecuting, instructed jurors Zou “presents as a smart and charming young man” however is “also a persistent sexual predator; a voyeur and a rapist”.
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Zou’s bed room. Pic: Met Police
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Police discovered a bottle of butanediol in Zou’s flat. Pic: Met Police
Zou, who additionally used the identify Pakho on-line, befriended fellow Chinese language college students on WeChat and relationship apps, earlier than inviting them for drinks and drugging them at his flats in London or an unknown location in China, the court docket heard.
The jury heard how he would secretly movie his assaults utilizing a cellular machine and hidden cameras, and was proven proof discovered on SD playing cards at his lodging of him raping unconscious ladies in London and in China.
Senior Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Saira Pike thanked the “incredibly strong and brave” ladies who got here ahead to report his “heinous” crimes.
“Zou is a serial rapist and a danger to women,” she mentioned.
“In some instances, we have not been able to identify Zou’s victims. Without knowing who these women are, we have not been able to support them through a deeply distressing period of time.
“We’ve got all the time been decided to hunt justice for each the unidentified and recognized victims on this case.”
