PhD student sentenced to life imprisonment after raping a woman in England, China – National
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A British judge was sentenced to 24 years in life imprisonment for raping 10 women in England and China.
Zu, 28, was convicted in a four-week trial held in London's Internal Crown Court earlier this year, which occurred between 2019 and 2023.
Judge Rosina Cottage described Zou on Thursday as a “very smart young man” who used a manipulative “charming mask” to cover up his being a “sexual predator.” According to London's Metropolitan Police, the cabin told Zu that he would be in 22 years and 227 days when he was eligible for parole.
The jury found him guilty of a total of 28 crimes, including voyeurism, possession of extreme pornography, possession of drugs for sexual crimes and false imprisonment.
“The long verdict reflects the justice of the women of the ancestral victims, which proves the extraordinary length of investigators who have been put to the streets with unwavering dangers of predators,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement.
Zou, who claimed the encounter was consistent, studied at the PhD in Mechanical Engineering at University College London in 2023, when the first woman stepped forward and accused him of raping her.
As part of the investigation, police caught Zou's phone call where they found video of him raping an unconscious woman. Searching for his apartment in south London created sedatives and recording equipment.
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According to police, investigators watched hundreds of videos while establishing evidence against Zou, and concluded that he committed not only in London but in China.
Police are still investigating Zu's crimes, and at least 24 women have filed new charges due to propaganda surrounding the trial.
Zou also used the pakho online name, becoming friends with classmates from China Heritage before inviting them to drink alcohol and taking drugs for them in an apartment in London or an unknown location in China.
Based on the evidence presented at the trial, Zou used a hidden or handheld camera to film the nine attacks as “souvenirs” and retained the “trophy” of his victim's property.
Prosecutor Saira Pike praised the victims who stood up to report on Zou's “terrible crimes.”
“They are very strong and brave,” Parker said. “Their evidence has no doubt helped us secure his beliefs and sent him to life imprisonment today.”
Parker called Zou a “serial rapist” and a “danger to women.”
“In this case, we have been determined to seek justice for unidentified and identified victims. We have used evidence-led approaches that rely on Zou video recordings to ensure that such dangerous predators face justice.”
“The prosecution team has worked with the police for more than a year to pick unprecedented videos and web chats to show his meticulous plans and horrific criminal executions,” she said.
Met Police Commander Kevin Southworth said his idea “has been living with the courageous victims of Zou’s outrageous and predatory crimes.”
Southworth added: “Thanks to the outstanding efforts of our officers and prosecutors, dangerous and cowardly criminals have been sentenced to life imprisonment. I hope Zou will no longer be able to hurt others' small amount of comfort for women who suffer from unhealthy suffering.”
He said he wanted to “emphasize that our investigation is still open” and that police continue to “appe anyone who may consider them victims of Zou.”
“Please stand up and talk to our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect,” Southworth added.
Police encourage any information about potential crimes related to Zou to report online or contact the police by phone or email.
–Documents with the Associated Press
& Copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
