Authorities say the full extent of the abuse may never be known.
Zou Zhenhao, 28, was handed a life sentence on Thursday with a minimum of 24 years before being eligible for parole. At his sentencing hearing, Judge Rosina Cottage said, per The New York Times, “You are a very bright young man, you appeared to the world to be well-to-do, ambitious and charming, but that charming mask hid the fact you were a sexual predator.”
Zou was convicted for attacks on 10 women between 2019 and 2023. Seven of those sexual assaults took place in China, and three occurred in London, including his most recent attack in May 2023 in a flat in Elephant and Castle. The first known London assaults happened in 2019 and 2020 in Bloomsbury, reports the Guardian.
Investigators found that Zou had filmed the assaults using hidden cameras and mobile phones. Police uncovered footage of 50 additional victims whose identities remain unknown.
“There may well be some women on those videos who we may never identify,” said Metropolitan Police Commander Kevin Southworth, citing poor image quality and gaps in information. “Some victims may have no idea what’s happened to them.”
Police said Zou would invite women to his luxury apartments in London after meeting them through the student community, dating apps, or social media. He would spike their drinks with a combination of drugs that left them unconscious and unable to resist. "Trophy" items including jewelry and clothing were recovered from his property.
One woman, who was the final victim in May 2023, initially contacted police but later withdrew her report following a breakdown and uncertainty over what had happened. Her case, however, led officers to search Zou’s home in January 2024, where they discovered hidden cameras, laptops, mobile phones, and substances such as ketamine and butanediol.
All known victims are believed to be Chinese. Statements from three women were read in court. One said she was left “consumed by terror, confusion, anger and shame.” Another feared speaking out due to Zou’s family influence. “I know his family is very powerful in China,” she said.
During the trial, jurors wept as they viewed videos showing the assaults. Judge Cottage noted that Zou told victims they had consented, attempting to “gaslight” them.
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