‘I felt extremely dizzy and sleepy right away’: Chinese victims speak out about Zhenhao Zou

Several potential Chinese victims of former UCL student and convicted rapist Zhenhao Zou have opened up about their experiences.

Zou was convicted in March of 11 counts of rape against 10 women, amongst other charges. After his arrest, the Metropolitan Police issued an appeal for potential victims after evidence such as hidden camera footage and souvenirs led them to believe there may be more than 60 other victims.

Police estimate around half of Zou’s crimes took place in London, with the rest taking place in his home country of China. His victims in London were mostly young Chinese women who were either studying or living in the city. Many of these women did not previously come forward due to unfamiliarity with the British legal system and fear of judgement from family and friends. 

One of these women, speaking to the BBC as Alice, alleged that she was assaulted by Zou in 2021, but didn’t feel able to report it to the police until after his trial in March: “I thought that, first, you needed evidence. And second, something substantial had to have happened before you could call the police.”

Alice met Zou while out clubbing in London. Soon after, a mutual friend invited her for drinks at Zou’s Woburn Place student accommodation. She said Zou had two bottles of spirits on the table, both already opened. Zou only drank from one while she and her friend drank from the other. They both felt drunk very quickly, and her friend appeared to fall asleep on the floor.

“Normally when you drink too much, you feel good for a while. But that night I just felt extremely dizzy and sleepy right away.”

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She claimed Zou asked her to take a nap in his bedroom, since taking a taxi home would be unsafe in her state, and she agreed since she knew her friend was still in the flat. The next thing she remembers is waking up to find Zou removing her trousers. She describes stopping him right away, before seeing the flash from a mobile phone and realising she was being filmed. 

As Alice tried to leave his bedroom, she says she was “yanked back from the doorway” by Zou with such force that she “had to cling onto the door frame with both hands.” He let go only when she threatened to scream for help, then told her not to make a “big deal” out of it or go to the police.

Drugs found after Zou’s arrest via Met Police

Another of Zou’s potential victims who has come forward since the trial alleged that he drugged and raped her in 2022 in his hometown of Dongguan in China’s Guangdong province. Speaking to the BBC as Rachel, she describes going on a date with him after meeting him online, which she thought would take place at a bar but ended up being at one of his family’s properties.

Rachel describes feeling a “wave of dizziness” after Zou mixed her a cocktail and they played a drinking game. She has told UK police that Zou then took her up to a bedroom and raped her after she became unable to speak or move her body.

She did not initially report the incident to Chinese police due to worries of judgement from people she knows, and the fear that she would not be able to prove a lack of consent: “It’s hard for me to prove the fact that I was willing to go to his place for drinks and that was not a signal that I was consenting to sex.”

Rachel is sharing her story now, and encouraging other victims to come forward, in the hope that Zou will be prosecuted in China as well as the UK.

Appeal for victims from the Met Police

The BBC also spoke to two victims who were identified before Zou’s trial. The first, speaking as Beth, was raped in London in 2023, and had tried to report it but decided not to pursue things after a poor experience with the police.

After sharing a warning on social media about what had happened to her, another Chinese student, speaking as Clara, reached out, saying she “immediately” knew Beth’s rapist was the same man who had drugged and raped her in London in 2021 after a night out in Chinatown.

Beth encouraged Clara to report her experience to the police, and months later the investigation was reopened. The Met Police has since expressed regret over the initial handling of Beth’s case.

Commander Southworth of the Metropolitan Police said: “We want to avoid situations where victims feel like they’re maybe not being taken seriously, or heaven forbid, being disbelieved,” adding that additionally training is being rolled out to all front line officers.

Beth and Clara were the only two women who police were able to identify ahead of Zou’s trial, and therefore the only two women whose evidence helped to convict him. Beth says she did not realise this until after giving her evidence in court: “I thought for a long time that I wasn’t an important part of the case against Zou.”

She says she is now glad that she came forward and encourages any other potential victims to do the same.

Zhenhao Zou via Met Police

This comes as the Metropolitan Police revealed Zhenhao Zou could have attacked as many as 60 women, with Commander Southworth saying the 28-year-old might be “one of the most prolific sexual predators that we’ve ever seen in this country”.

The Met has also put out an appeal to anyone who may know anything about the assaults. It has also urged victims to come forward. However, has explained that if they wish not to speak to the police, they can contact Rape Crisis who will be able to assist potential victims.

The appeal says: “If you wish to speak to Met detectives or make a report relating to Zou, you can also contact police via email on [email protected].

“You can also make a report to police by calling 101 from within the UK, quoting reference 2904/04FEB25.

“If you live in England or Wales and have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies, please contact the independent charity Rape Crisis via their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line or call them on 0808 500 2222. Specially trained staff are there to listen, answer questions and offer emotional support.”

Featured image via Metropolitan Police