Woman felt 'disgusting' after alleged rape

According to the court, a victim who claims she was drugged and raped by a Chinese PhD student, identified as Mr. Zou, told police that she felt "sick" after waking up in an apartment in South London. In her police interview, the victim stated that 27-year-old Zou raped her in an apartment in Elephant and Castle in May 2023 and did not allow her to leave.

The woman told Detective Emily Nice in February 2024 that they had been drinking wine together, but she began to find Zou "strange" and wanted to leave, but he wouldn't let her. The Inner London Crown Court heard that Zou has denied 11 counts of rape, 3 counts of voyeurism, 12 counts of possessing extreme pornographic images, 1 count of false imprisonment, and 8 counts of intending to supply controlled drugs.

In a police interview played in court, the woman stated that she was crying on the floor at one point, and when she tried to leave, Zou pulled her back by her clothes and forced her to drink vodka. She told officers that she felt "desperate" and "out of control" and was forced to stay in the apartment. She also said that she had asked Zou for 100,000 RMB (approximately £11,000) in exchange for staying, but she told detectives that she did not expect the defendant to pay and that this did not give him permission to have sex with her. She claims that Zou raped her while she was unconscious.

When asked how she felt, the woman told Detective Nice, "I felt really sick, but I didn't have the strength to fight him." She added, "I don't even remember when it ended because I was already passed out." The woman told officers that she felt "dizzy" and "drowsy" that night. Police found video footage of the alleged rape, filmed by a camera next to Zou's bed, as well as photos of the victim at Zou's residence. Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly stated that in the video played in court, the woman could be heard screaming and trying to get out of bed multiple times, but the defendant pushed her back each time.

In her police interview, the victim stated that after that night, "I can't sleep, I can't eat, I feel sick...the physical feeling is worse than the mental one." It is understood that the woman is one of two of Zou's 10 victims who have been identified by police. The jury heard that the defendant is accused of drugging and raping a total of 10 women, including 3 in London and 7 in China. Prosecutors stated that he filmed 9 of the victims, and these videos were played in court on Thursday. The defendant moved to Belfast in 2017 to study at Queen's University, before moving to London in 2019 to pursue a master's degree and then a PhD at University College London. He will argue that the sexual activity was consensual, that the women voluntarily consumed drugs and alcohol, and that some of the videos filmed involved role-playing. The trial is ongoing.