Following several disturbing reports of women and young girls being virtually raped in the metaverse, experts and campaigners are now calling for action: they are demanding that gamers who carry out assaults through technological devices in online spaces are investigated and charged just like real-life offenders. This noteworthy demand asks policymakers to consider the real-world implications of sexual violence in virtual spaces and sheds a renewed light on the impunity of online attackers.

Professor Clare McGlynn, a law expert and campaigner against online abuse at Durham University, who SCREENSHOT interviewed last year, recently called the metaverse a “ticking time bomb.”

The expert also warned that the number of sex attacks within the virtual space are set to “explode” in the coming years, in the absence of any tangible legislation.

McGlynn’s comments recapture the horror and outrage that rippled through the UK after it was reported that the police were investigating an unprecedented case of a 16 year-old being gang raped in the metaverse. Anonymous players perpetrated the attack while she was wearing a virtual reality headset within an immersive game.

Due to the fact that many other players frequently wear other sensory devices, such as interactive gloves and bodysuits to experience physical touch in the 3D games, players could be exposed to experiencing the full force of an assault while traipsing the metaverse. 

Unfortunately, this case only represents the tip of an iceberg that continues to mount with numerous cases and allegations of sexual assault online.

In a research paper titled ‘From Virtual Rape to Meta-rape: Sexual Violence, Criminal Law and the Metaverse’ published in the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, McGlynn found that an increasing number of “meta-rapes” are going unpunished.

From Virtual Rape to Meta-rape: Sexual Violence, Criminal Law and the Metaverse https://t.co/JFeH3wDUv1

— Mary Dalzell (@dalzell_ma19950) May 6, 2025

Next to citing a number of cases, the professor also explored how the victims suffered the same psychological trauma as a real-life victim, underscoring the urgent need for regulatory action.

“Women users increasingly report non-consensual touching, image-based sexual abuses and novel forms of gendered harm, often trivialised and inadequately addressed by current laws,” the abstract reads.

The paper was co-authored with Carlotta Rigotti, a postdoctoral researcher in digital law and gender at Leiden University.

The two experts suggested: “Contrary to conventional approaches, [the] current criminal laws could apply to some forms of meta-rape. We also propose strengthening and future-proofing criminal law, with laws proscribing intimate intrusions. By reframing our understanding of meta-rape, we aim to address the prevalence and impact of these gendered and sexualised harms, providing robust avenues for victim redress and promoting safety and autonomy in emerging virtual spaces.”