A woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by a Chinese PhD student in London after he pressured her to consume more alcohol, according to court testimony.
Zhenhao Zou, 27, faces allegations of drugging and raping ten women, with three incidents reported in London and seven in China—charges he refutes.
A police officer who received a report from one victim testified that the woman alleged Mr. Zou raped her after repeatedly overriding her attempts to stop drinking and preventing her from leaving.
During the proceedings at Inner London Crown Court, it was noted that when police conducted a search of Zou’s apartment months later, they discovered bags containing ketamine and MDMA.
The jury learned that the Metropolitan Police were called to the victim’s residence on May 21, 2023, following her accusations of a grave sexual assault.
In a witness statement, Officer Tijani explained that the woman described having gone out for drinks with Mr. Zou, who “coaxed her to drink more” just days before the incident at a party.
The statement further indicated that she later felt “uncomfortable” and wanted to depart, but Mr. Zou prevented her from doing so.
Body-worn camera footage presented in court captured the complainant telling officers: “He always encouraged me to drink more so I would feel more intoxicated. I wanted to return, but he wouldn’t let me.”
The woman, who speaks Mandarin as her first language, further stated: “He raped me.”
Officer Tijani observed that the woman “seemed confused” and was “challenging to comprehend because of the language barrier.”
The police asked her if she had been drinking when they arrived at her home, as there was uncertainty surrounding her account.
Another officer, PC Emily Nice, recounted that the woman mentioned another “girl approached her, stating she had gone through a similar experience.”
Jurors were informed that police confiscated various substances from Mr. Zou’s flat in Elephant and Castle, south London, including several 500ml bottles of butanediol, Xanax tablets, Viagra, and a folded banknote containing a white powder.
The white powder that was seized was later identified as ketamine and MDMA, according to the trial.
Additionally, images found on Mr. Zou’s phone portrayed the drug sevoflurane with the label “suitable for full body anaesthetisation,” alongside images of the tranquilizer triazolam, jurors were told.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Zou recorded nine of the purported victims, and footage from these recordings has been shown in court.
Mr. Zou relocated to Belfast in 2017 for studies at Queen’s University before continuing in London for a master’s degree and then pursuing a PhD at UCL.
He denies 11 counts of rape, along with three counts of voyeurism, 12 counts of possessing extreme pornographic material, one count of false imprisonment, and eight counts related to the possession of controlled substances intending to distribute.
Mr. Zou is expected to assert that the sexual encounters were consensual, that the women willingly consumed drugs and alcohol, and that some of the recorded material involved role-playing, as indicated to the jurors.
The trial is ongoing.
