A beast! After drugging and sexual assault, Zou Zhenhao, a series of Chinese sexual assault cases occurred in London, and there may be hundreds of victims!

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At the end of August 2025, a Chinese name once again caused public opinion shock in the London court.

The Guardian reported that 33-year-old Chinese man Chao Xu – an international student who has lived in the UK since 2013 and has been in the London Chinese circle as the founder of the company and a “social expert” – admitted to committing 24 serious crimes against at least six women, including rape, sexual assault, voyeurism, and sneak shots at the Woollwich Criminal Court in the UK.

Police said the actual number of victims was “far more than currently known” and called on more women to come forward and identify them.

The origin of the case occurred in June 2025.

At that time, a woman attended a social gathering held by Xu Chao at his Greenwich residence in South London. After drinking the drink provided by him, she felt strange in her body and was “arranged to rest” in a semi-coma.

Police investigations found she suffered at least four rapes in a state of confusion.

(Photo source: Theguardian)

After the victim reported the case,The police raided Xu Chao’s residence and found multiple hidden camera devices, including private spaces such as air freshener and bathrooms.

At the same time, hundreds of private photos and videos of women were found in their mobile phones and computers, most of which were obtained from secret photos without consent, and some of them were public areas such as London Bridge Metro Station and workplaces.

With the advancement of police interrogation and digital evidence collection, more victims have emerged one after another.The identities of 6 victims have been confirmed, of which 3 have not been identified. It is estimated that the actual victims may reach dozens or even hundreds.

According to the details released by the prosecutor and the police,Xu Chao’s criminal behavior lasted for at least three years (February 2022-June 2025), with fixed and highly premeditated methods:

• Organize “social activities” in your own residence;

• Target the target woman and take medicine while she is unwell;

• Use veterinary drugs to insomnate or lose their ability to move;

• commit rape or sexual assault;

• Use a hidden camera to record the entire process;

• Save photos and videos, some videos are suspected to be “reviewed repeatedly”.

The indictment shows that he admitted the following crimes:

• 4 counts of rape;

• 8 items of plug-in sexual assault;

• 4 counts of sexual assault;

• 4 items of voyeurism;

• 2 items of drug administration intended to rape;

• Secretly shot under 2 skirts.

Some of the secret photography occurs in workplaces and subway stations, which is extremely publicly harmful. Police pointed out: “Xu Chao is a sex offender who is meticulously calculated and routinely committed crimes.

(Scene of Xu Chao’s arrest)

His use of social trust and the vulnerability of the victim is a serious violation of the body and mind of women. ”

Due to the similar techniques and overlapping victim groups, the British police once filed an investigation into the “UCL Dr. Zou Zhenhao case” that caused a sensation in the Chinese circle in 2024. See related reports:A beast! Chinese doctoral students sexually assaulted 10 girls by drugging and were arrested and sentenced in the UK… International students: It’s embarrassing!

Zhou Zhenhao (Photo source: Internet)

Zou Zhenhao was sentenced to life imprisonment (minimum 24 years in prison) in March 2024, with charges including drug-based rape, secretly shooting, illegal imprisonment, and possession of sexual assault videos.

He approached women through a dating software, invited them to their residence and took drugs and committed violence, and recorded multiple videos as “souvenirs”. Police called it “one of the most rampant serial sexual assaulters in the UK in recent years.”

He photographed nine rapes as “souvenirs” and preserved a collection of victim items, including jewelry and clothing, as souvenirs.

Image source BBC copyright belongs to the original author

At present, no direct contact between Xu and Zou cases was found, but both of them concealed their true faces with “high education and active social circles”, and both committed sexual violence through the fixed model of “drug + sneak shots”, and both regarded Chinese women as their main targets, forming a strong social shock.

According to media reports, Xu Chao is currently detained in Belmarsh, a high-security prison in London, and is detained in the same prison area as Zou Zhenhao. The police even arranged a surveillance device to find out whether there are more hidden crimes.

Although the two cases are individual cases, the trust they bring cannot be ignored.Most of the victims are Chinese female students who have just arrived in the UK – their language skills are limited, their social circles are initially established, and their channels for help are not smooth, which is easy to become the target of “sexual assault from acquaintances”.

What is even more vigilant is that Xu Chao is not a “stranger” in the traditional sense: he has the label of “resource people”, “seniors” and “wide connections” in the community, and many people have entered his “social scene” based on trust.

Such criminals under disguise not only seriously trampled on the law, but also destroyed the mutual trust mechanism within the overseas Chinese community. Just as an international student left an angry message on a social platform:“He is not worthy of being a Chinese, let alone mixing among us.”

At present, Xu Chao has been formally prosecuted and pleaded guilty and is expected to be sentenced to sentence on November 14, 2025. The judge has made it clear that his crime will result in “an inevitable prolonged imprisonment.”

Police said the case investigation is still continuing and encouraged any woman who has participated in a gathering organized by Xu Chao or who suspects she has been a victim to contact London police immediately.

The reporting methods provided by the police are as follows:

• Case number: 01/7563135/25;

• Email: operation.kafka@met.police.uk;

• Call 101 hotline in the UK;

• “Public Portal for Major Events” online reporting (supports English, Mandarin, Cantonese).

At the same time, the police emphasized: “You are not lonely. Every woman who stands up bravely is the most powerful fight against the criminals.”

“He doesn’t drink, speaks elegantly, and is always enthusiastic about helping others when organizing activities” – this is the initial impression of Xu Chao by a victim. And this is the truth behind many sexual criminals hiding behind the “safety persona”.

For young people studying abroad, trusting others is the first step in social integration, but it may also become the first link in the trap set by some people. We should not question “why the victim does not refuse”, but instead turn our attention to why the perpetrator “deliberately deceives”.

Please remember all friends overseas:

• Take control of the drinks yourself and do not accept food handed over by strangers at will;

• Try to travel together and avoid going to private places alone;

• Seek help in a timely manner if you feel abnormal, keep evidence, seek medical treatment and report to the police;

• If violated, please speak bravely, law and justice will be your strong backing.

Let crimes no longer be covered up by silence, and let malice be unable to hide under trust.

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