TWISTED online forums where depraved men share tips of how to drug and rape women are going under the radar – sparking fears there may be thousands more victims who do not even know they are being targeted.
Not only are these forums affecting the UK, but they are also operating on a “truly international” level. Here, charities and survivors tell The Jattvibe that use of these platforms, where men discuss how to sexually assault women and share abuse material, has become an “epidemic” – and the current statistics are just the “tip of the iceberg”.
The networks bear a chilling resemblance to the Gisele Pelicot case Credit: The Times
Survivor Zoe Watts told The Jattvibe the abuse is an ‘epidemic’ Credit: Neil Hope
In these warped groups, men ask strangers to come over and rape their own trusted long-term partners, the National Crime Agency has revealed.
The NCA pointed to the Gisèle Pelicot case as a shocking example of the depraved abuse these forums are capable of organising.
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The survivor’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was jailed for 20 years for drugging, raping, and allowing dozens of other men to rape her while she was unconscious. He and 50 other men were found guilty of rape or sexual offences after the terrifying campaign of sexual abuse.
Pelicot’s story has been compared to that of Zoe Watts – whose husband is serving an 11-year sentence for drug-facilitated rape over 18 years of their relationship.
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She told The Jattvibe that forums where men discuss how to sexually assault women and share abuse material have become an “epidemic”.
On these websites, sick perpetrators invite men to take part in rapes, give the best advice on how to sedate targets, and share footage of their horrific abuse.
Discussions include sharing tactics to avoid being caught and requests for certain sexual attacks to be filmed.
Many victims do not even know they have been subjected to some of these heinous crimes, the NCA said.
People hold placards in support of French woman Gisele Pelicot, the victim of a mass rape orchestrated by her then-husband Dominique Pelicot Credit: Reuters
Online predators are operating on forums Credit: Oscar Wong
Zoe, who was drugged, raped, and filmed for years in a horrific campaign of abuse, said the latest report was just the tip of the iceberg.
She said investigators were “very far behind the curve” as “thousands” of women are probably being sexually assaulted everyday without knowing.
Fears are mounting that the recently uncovered networks are just a small visible portion of the problem.
Zoe, 43, told us: “There are hundreds and thousands of women, I suspect, out there that are being sexually assaulted and they don’t know it.”
She said the lack of moderation on these warped websites is something relied upon by predators.
“Men are banking on us not finding out – they’re relying on our symptoms not being spotted,” she said.
“They’re relying on poor policing, they’re relying on shoddy internet and hosting regulations to continue to facilitate sexual assaults. These platforms aren’t being monitored correctly and there’s all this information and detail about how to carry out these acts.
“We’re basically letting it go on there in its hundreds and then trying to bring it down… it needs to be an offence to even have it uploaded.”
Gisele Pélicot courageously chose to waive her anonymity to defy sickos like her ex-husband Credit: Getty
Dominique Pélicot and 47 other men were found guilty for attacks related to Gisele Credit: Police Handout
Zoe added: “It’s an epidemic, and it’s incredibly scary. Just speaking from my own experience, the sexual assaults, the drugs… it would have been over a nine-year period. I can’t imagine… how many other women are experiencing that.”
The activist, who started End Eye Check as a survivor-led campaign building awareness around the issue, has worked with several victims of disturbing online forums.
She explained: “I’ve got women involved in the campaign that are actively looking for themselves online because they know that a rape has happened and their partner won’t tell them where they are.
“It’s definitely a problem that’s increasing… I’ve got a lady involved in the campaign who’s in her 70s. It doesn’t discriminate by age, by gender, by social standing, by race – and that’s what’s scary.”
More than 270 suspects linked to one forum were identified by the NCA in their latest probe.
The agency informed police in several countries, with more than 90 per cent of the cases being sent abroad – highlighting the international scale of these groups.
In the UK, the probe has resulted in at least 14 investigations, with eight victim-survivors safeguarded.
It comes after the discovery of Telegram group in Germany that allegedly posed as a driving school, but was actually a cesspit where men bragged about raping women and shared assault strategies, prosecutors said.
Referring to women as “cars, sedatives as “fuel” and rape as “driving” three Chinese members of the group have been convicted while another is currently on trial in Berlin.
The case sent shock waves across Germany and China – and underscored the global scale of the problem.
Asked if she was scared by the prospect of predators coming to the UK to commit crimes before fleeing the country, Zoe said: “Absolutely.”
Gisele has been applauded for her courage in speaking out and defying her abusers Credit: Reuters
Domestic abuse – how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone – including men – and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
“The thing with the online platforms is it makes the availability, the access to a woman’s body so much more broader,” she said.
“These platforms have allowed a global network access to somebody who is like-minded, and wants to execute the attack.
“It is happening in 22 different countries… I think that realistically, these women are at risk anywhere… all you’ve got to do is hop on a plane really.”
Zoe added: “I think we’re dramatically underestimating the problem and the effect that it is having, because it’s committed on the whole by ‘nice men’.
“The facade of these men are, to the face of the public, all very lovely. You wouldn’t expect it.”
Rape Crisis England and Wales told The Jattvibe it was a “deeply concerning phenomenon”.
They told us: “Some people may now be questioning whether something similar could have happened to them, or someone they know.
“We would encourage anyone who is worried or affected to seek support, including through the Rape Crisis 24/7 Support Line.”
The charity said the problem was getting worse due to the increase of readily available violent sexual material online.
“Many of these online platforms are reported to enable the sharing of advice, encouragement, and methods for carrying out sexual abuse without detection,” the organisation said.
“When we think about this as a growing problem online, we need to remember that platforms don’t exist in isolation.
“They exist within an online culture where increasingly extreme and violent sexual material is easily accessible, and where violence against women is amplified and rewarded.”
They said research demonstrated a “clear link between pornography use – particularly violent pornography – and harmful attitudes towards women”.
Because some of these networks are international, investigations can be “more complex” due to law enforcement agencies needing to coordinate across countries.
Nigel Leary, the deputy director of the NCA, said: “We believe we have uncovered a truly international network with group members identified in dozens of countries spanning every continent.
“In many of the cases we’ve seen so far, individuals have become victims of sexual assault crimes while sedated.”
The “most heinous sexual abuse” is being discussed on these forums, Leary added.
Rape Crisis CEO Ciara Bergman said the discovery was “alarming”.
She said: “Sadly, though, they are not surprising – these abuses are rooted in the same misogyny and objectification which underpin violence against women and girls the world over.
“We mustn’t forget that many of these abuses were filmed, shared and viewed by others on these forums. Online platforms have been allowed to profit from extremist acts of violence against women and girls for far too long.
“For many survivors, this news will be extraordinarily frightening and confusing.
“Many women will now be asking themselves whether they could have been affected, whether they can trust those closest to them, and what that will mean for them.
“To anyone reading this who is worried that they, or someone they know, may have experienced drug-facilitated sexual assault or rape: you do not have to go through this alone.”
