London PhD student raped 10 women he plied with drink or drugs, court told
London PhD student raped 10 women he plied with drink or drugs, court told
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Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, is also accused of filming his attacks as ‘souvenirs’ for his own gratification. A student raped 10 women he had plied with alcohol or drugs and videoed his attacks as “souvenirs” for his own gratification, a court has heard.
Zhenhao Zou, 27, a Chinese national, was described as a “predator, voyeur and rapist”. He denies all charges against him. He was at University College London from 2019 studying engineering for a master’s degree and then a PhD. He came to Britain in September 2017 and studied first at Queen’s University in Belfast.
The prosecutor, Catherine Farrelly KC, said: “To the outside world, he undoubtedly presents as a smart and charming young man. The prosecution says that he is also a persistent sexual predator; a voyeur and a rapist. “The prosecution case at this trial is that he would meet women, he would stupefy them, either with drink or drugs, and, once they were significantly under the influence of drink or drugs, he would rape them. Often, he would record himself doing so …”.
The jury was told Zou faced 35 counts on the indictment against him and they would be shown some of the videos, which the crown said showed Zou’s guilt. Farrelly said the recordings were “kept for his own private sexual gratification”. She added: “Often, he would record himself doing so and you will be shown several recordings during this trial, which the prosecution says are the defendant’s souvenirs of many rapes that he had committed; items that he kept for his own private sexual gratification, so that he could watch, at his leisure, his rapes of these women, who he had rendered often unconscious and totally vulnerable to his will.”.
