Fact Check: "Police fear more than 60 women may be Zou's victims."
What We Know
Zhenhao Zou, a 28-year-old PhD student from China, was recently convicted of raping 10 women in the UK and China. During the investigation, police discovered that Zou had filmed himself raping unconscious women and had a collection of videos that included at least 58 instances of sexual assault (BBC, The Guardian). Commander Kevin Southworth of the Metropolitan Police stated that they fear Zou may have attacked as many as 50 additional women, indicating that the known cases could represent only a fraction of his total crimes (CNN).
Zou's modus operandi involved drugging women with substances like GHB, which he would mix into their drinks, rendering them incapacitated (The Guardian). The police's concern about the number of potential victims stems from the nature of the evidence collected, including the extensive video footage found on his devices (Indian Express).
Analysis
The claim that police fear more than 60 women may be Zou's victims is supported by multiple credible sources. The BBC and CNN both report on the police's belief that Zou's known victims are just "a fraction" of his total assaults, with estimates suggesting he may have attacked up to 50 more women (BBC, CNN). This aligns with the findings from the trial, where jurors were shown harrowing footage of Zou's assaults, leading to the conclusion that he is one of the most prolific sexual predators encountered by the police (The Guardian, New York Times).
However, while the police's fears are based on the evidence available, it is important to note that these figures are speculative. The lack of identified victims beyond the 10 confirmed cases means that the estimate of 60 potential victims is not definitively proven but rather a projection based on Zou's behavior and the evidence collected (Indian Express).
The sources reporting on this case, including major news outlets like the BBC, The Guardian, and CNN, are generally reliable and have a track record of thorough investigative journalism. However, they also rely on police statements, which may carry an inherent bias towards emphasizing the severity of the situation to encourage public awareness and reporting of additional victims.
Conclusion
The claim that "police fear more than 60 women may be Zou's victims" is Partially True. While it is accurate that police are concerned about the possibility of many more victims based on the evidence, the exact number remains speculative. The known cases of assault are confirmed, but the estimates of additional victims are based on police assessments and the nature of the evidence rather than confirmed reports from victims.
