PhD student Zhenhao Zou, who raped 10 women, jailed for 24 years

A Chinese PhD student named by police as “one of the most prolific predators” in the UK has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 24 years.

Zhenhao Zou, a Chinese national, drugged and raped three women in London and another seven in China between September 2019 and May 2023.

Three of the 10 victims have been identified, prosecutors say, but Metropolitan Police detectives fear he could have targeted dozens more and have appealed for potential victims to contact them. Since the trial, 24 women have come forward.

During sentencing, Judge Rosina Cottage KC said the defendant was a “very bright young man” who used a manipulative “charming mask” to hide that he was a “sexual predator”.

At the sentencing hearing at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Cottage told Zou: “You appear to the world to be a very well-to-do man. You are also a sexual predator.”

She said Zou had “planned and executed a campaign of rape”, treating the women “callously” and as “sex toys” for his own pleasure, which had had “devastating and long-term effects”.

Judge Cottage added Zou had a “sexual interest” in “asserting power and control over women”, and that the victims had been “pieces in an elaborate game” for the defendant, who had “no understanding of the meaning of consent”.

Warning: This article contains distressing details

During sentencing, she added: “You told (the victims) that resistance was futile.

“Sometimes you would be begged to stop. You sought power over them – these women you treated callously – and used them as sex toys for your pleasure.”

Judge Cottage said the court had watched videos of the rapes which had been “extremely distressing”. “Some who watched, wept,” she said.

Zou, who was living in Elephant and Castle, south-east London, was convicted of 11 counts of rape, with two of the offences relating to one victim.

He was also convicted of three counts of voyeurism, 10 of possession of an extreme pornographic image, one of false imprisonment and three of possession of a controlled drug with intent to commit a sexual offence.

He kept a trophy box of women’s belongings and filmed nine of the rapes, as the victims lost consciousness.

Det Insp Richard Mackenzie from the Met Police said Zou was “one of the most prolific predators we have ever seen”.

Judge Cottage told Zou: “You are a highly manipulative and intelligent young man, but you have no understanding of the meaning of consent.

“There is a high level of danger because of your distorted thinking. You are a risk for an indefinite period.”

One woman was raped after Zou pushed her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and would not let her leave his flat.

In a victim impact statement, she wrote the attack had “deeply affected” her personality.

She said: “I have lost faith in human beings, I have no trust in others. Before this incident, I was not aware that a human could do such evil things.

“When I meet with strangers, I get flashbacks of what he did.”

A second identified woman, who is now living in China, was also raped by Zou in his student flat near Russell Square in October 2021 when she was unconscious.

She said: “I know words will never fully convey the depth of this wound. But one thing is certain, what happened that night is etched into my soul forever.

“His face, his expression – they will never leave me. I will never forgive him.”

Commander Kevin Southworth, from the Metropolitan Police said: “I hope the fact Zou can no longer harm others serves as a small amount of comfort to the women who have suffered immeasurably.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to stress that our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou.

“Please come forward and speak with our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect.”

Saira Pike, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said Zou was a “serial rapist and a danger to women” and that “his life sentence reflects his heinous acts”.

She added: “I’d like to take this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt thanks to the courageous women who came forward to report Zou’s horrific crimes.

“They have been incredibly strong and brave – there is no doubt that their evidence helped us to secure his conviction, and the life sentence handed to him today.”