Zhenhao Zou serial rapist: Consultant forensic psychologist warns that sexual predator suspected of assaulting over 60 women may have committed offences in Belfast

PhD student Zhenhao Zou was convicted in London Crown Court this week of drugging and raping 10 women. He will be sentenced in June.

However Metropolitan Police Commander Cdr Kevin Southworth said the video evidence showed there may be as many as 50 further victims.

"In addition to the charges that you’ve seen brought during this trial, we also have evidence that he may have potentially attacked as many as 50 other women in the same awful nature,” he said.

“Zou is a particularly cowardly and deceitful individual. He has done all that he can in these offences to incapacitate his victims to the point where they could not resist his attack, and in many instances may not even remember what has occurred to them."

When arrested Zou was a student at University College London but prior to that he was a student of Mechanical Engineering at Queens University Belfast (QUB) from 2017-2019.

It is understood he would have been 20-22 years of age at QUB, graduating from QUB with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering in July 2019.

"We are aware of his recent trial in London and have been liaising with the Metropolitan Police in relation to it," QUB told the News Letter.

"At this time there is nothing to suggest that any offences relate to his time at Queen’s University Belfast.

"We will continue to liaise with all appropriate authorities should that position change."

The PSNI referred all inquiries about him to the Metropolitan Police.

However a Consultant Forensic Psychologist has now told the News Letter that, based on his offending history, he could well have committed other rapes during his time in Belfast.

Nottinghamshire-based Ruth Tully has worked with sexual offenders and victims of sexual offences for over 15 years and regularly gives expert witness evidence in court and parole hearings. She also works with police, prison, probation and the NHS.

"Zou's sexual offending spanned multiple victims across continents, showing that his risk was very high and chronic," she told the News Letter.

"He is reported to have admitted to having sexual interests in rape and unconscious women. Research tells us that sex offenders who have sexual deviance are more likely to be repeat offenders. This is also very much my experience from working with sexual offenders.

"This means that Zou may well have committed similar offences when he was in Belfast. Given his history of drugging women, if there are victims in Belfast, they may not even be aware that this happened to them. I would encourage any victims to seek support, and come forward to police if they feel able to do so."

Zou met women using online platforms and dating apps, inviting them to his home in London under the guise of studying or to have drinks.

Once inside he would offer them a drink laced with drugs and film himself raping them while their were unconcious.

Officers are keeping an open mind about the identities of unidentified victim-survivors, but are particularly keen to hear from women from the Chinese student community who may have met him in London or China.