Sexual violence is prolific in the UK—this is an unfortunate reality all women are aware of. That being said, this knowledge doesn’t pale the despair and upset when a new vicious perpetrator is identified. In March 2025, police charged PhD student Zhenhao Zou for the rapes of three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2024. Now, just under a month later, dozens more women have come forward with their own harrowing testimonies.

According to The Independent, Zou, 28, used secret hidden cameras to record his vicious attacks, drugging and sexually assaulting women that he had invited into his home under false pretences. The Chinese student would then keep the videos as ‘souvenirs’.

In regards to his background, this is what we know at the moment: Zou first moved to the UK in 2017 from China to study at Queen’s University in Belfast. He then went on to study for his PhD at UCL in 2019. During his time in higher education, Zou was described as a “model student.”

Labelled by authorities as one of Britain’s most “prolific sexual predators,” police have also issued a global appeal, urging women to come forward after revealing they had found videos, 58 to be exact, showing dozens of unidentified women being assaulted by the 28-year-old. The UCL student kept a trophy box of victims’ belongings including jewellery and clothing.

Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 28, has been convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in London and China between 2019 and 2023.

He filmed nine of the attacks and kept a trophy box of women's belongings.https://t.co/T4o4oLJa3C pic.twitter.com/PnnaG52mc0

— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 5, 2025

“There may be as many as 50 victims.”

Zhenhao Zou, 28, drugged and raped at least 10 women, secretly filming nine assaults as “souvenirs.” He kept a trophy box of victims’ belongings. Police fear many more remain unidentified.

How was he allowed to be so prolific?

Zou wasn’t… pic.twitter.com/qwvpsQkcnl

— David Challen (@David_Challen) March 5, 2025

Police have also stressed that given Zou’s charming outward demeanour and wealthy background, it’s very likely that he has committed a great deal more offences across the world.

Met commander, Kevin Southworth told The Guardian: “Given how active and prolific Zou appears to have been with his awful offending, there is every prospect that he could have offended anywhere in the world. We wouldn’t want anyone to write off the fact they may have been a victim of his behaviour simply by virtue of the fact that you are from a certain place.”

“The bottom line is, if you think you may have been affected by Zhenhao Zou or someone you know may have been, please don’t hold back. Please make contact with us,” the commander continued.

A number of highly disturbing details have come to light since Zou’s arrest. For example, during a recent trial hearing, jurors heard the 28-year-old state that he watched “specialist timestop” pornography more than other genres, as reported by The Independent. This type of content shows individuals able to stop the flow of time in order to have sex with people.

When asked by his lawyer why that particular genre appealed to him, Zou said: “I like it because the girl appears to be still and quiet when they are having sex.”

Given the sheer scale of this case, it’s highly likely we will continue to learn more harrowing details from this extremely upsetting and violent manifestation of the evil that exists in society. Indeed, police have already indicated that there will potentially be numerous trials and more charges brought against Zou.