By Emeka Blast 
Predator PhD Student Gets Life in Prison for Drugging and Raping 10 Women
A former PhD student, Zhenhao Zou (28), has been sentenced today, June 19, 2025, to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years after being convicted of 28 offences, including:
- 11 counts of rape against 10 women (three in London and seven in China), committed between 2019 and 2024
- Multiple charges of voyeurism, possession of extreme pornography, false imprisonment, and possession of date‑rape drugs.
Key details:
- Zou lured victims—many of whom were Chinese students—to his flats in London or in China via social media and dating apps (WeChat, Bumble, Little Red Book). He reportedly spiked their drinks with drugs like 1,4‑butanediol (GHB) and ketamine, then recorded the assaults using hidden cameras.
- During the raid on his Elephant & Castle flat in January 2024, police found hundreds of videos (including nine filmed rapes), a trophy box of items belonging to victims, and large quantities of drugs.
- Though only two victims have been identified so far, over 20 women have now come forward, and detectives believe there may be 50 or more other victims.
- Judge Rosina Cottage KC described Zou as a “dangerous and predatory” offender, with police labeling him one of the “worst sexual offenders” Britain has encountered.
- Authorities are urging anyone—especially Chinese women who met him in London or China—to come forward, assuring them of empathy and support.
💡 In summary: Zhenhao Zou, a former UCL PhD student in mechanical engineering, has been jailed for life (minimum 24 years) after drugging, raping, and covertly filming 10 known victims across at least two countries. The true scale of his crimes may involve many more victims and the investigation remains ongoing.
