A jury has been informed that Zhenhao Zou, a PhD student from China studying in the UK, appears to be “an intelligent and charming young man,” yet in reality is “a relentless sexual predator, voyeur, and rapist.”
Zou is currently facing trial at the Inner London Crown Court, where he is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting ten women.
The drugs alleged to be involved in his crimes include MDMA, butanediol, ketamine, and alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax.
The 27-year-old has pleaded not guilty to a total of 35 charges, which include 11 counts of rape, three of voyeurism, 12 related to extreme pornography, one for false imprisonment, and eight for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
The court learned that Zou, who resides in Elephant and Castle, South London, initially moved from China to the UK in September 2017 for studies at Queen’s University in Belfast. He later earned a master’s degree from University College London between 2019 and 2021 before beginning his PhD at the same institution.
In her opening statements, prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC characterized Zou as “a relentless sexual predator, voyeur, and rapist.”
“To those outside, he presents as an intelligent and charming individual,” Ms. Farrelly stated in court.
“The prosecution contends that he met young women, incapacitated them with drugs or alcohol, and then proceeded to sexually assault them while they were in a vulnerable state.”
Ms. Farrelly also indicated that various recordings would be presented as evidence during the trial, which the prosecution alleges are “souvenirs of the multiple rapes committed by the defendant; items he has kept for his own private pleasure, allowing him to relive the assaults on these women, whom he had rendered defenseless.”
She further noted that “most of the cases of rape surfaced only after police searched Zou’s residence, seized evidence, and conducted examinations.”
While police have identified two of the alleged victims, they remain unaware of the identities of the remaining eight, according to the court proceedings.
It was asserted that there are recordings concerning nine of the ten alleged rape victims, for which Zou is charged with possessing extreme pornographic content. The jury was informed that there are also two additional recordings in which the male figure cannot be recognized.
Ms. Farrelly informed the jury that the first woman who accused Zou contacted law enforcement in May 2023, alleging that he raped her after preventing her from leaving his apartment.
Although she did not initially pursue the claim, investigators discovered a social media post in February 2024 in which she detailed the incident.
The court was told that when detectives reached out to her, she recounted drinking wine with the defendant at his flat in May 2023, during which she began to find his behavior unsettling.
When she attempted to leave, Zou reportedly told a visiting friend that she was too intoxicated to walk and that he could not let her go, according to the testimonies shared in court.
When the woman made a bid to escape the apartment, he allegedly pulled her back by her clothing and later pressured her into consuming a large glass of vodka. She claims he then raped her while she was unconscious.
The second woman, who had been identified by police, subsequently contacted the first woman after seeing her social media posts.
The court learned that she had consensually engaged in sexual activity with Zou once in September 2021. However, following an outing with friends in Chinatown the following month, she found herself alone with him on the street and recalls becoming sick.
Her next recollection was of Zou raping her at his apartment, where she indicated to police that she had asked him to stop before losing consciousness.
The trial is ongoing.
