Eight arrested in U.K. probe into international network of men drugging, raping partners

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - July 03, 2026 11:45 am IST - London The alleged offences were reminiscent of the high-profile case of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged and raped by her then-husband and by strangers for nearly a decade. Image for representation | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStock The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Thursday (July 2, 2026), that eight people had been arrested as part of a probe into an international network of men drugging and sexually abusing women they know. The alleged offences were reminiscent of the high-profile case of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, who was drugged and raped by her then-husband and by strangers for nearly a decade. Since the 2025 trial and conviction of her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot, similar cases have come to light across Europe, from Germany to the Netherlands. The NCA, which looks into international crime, said it had uncovered a global network of predominantly men suspected of similar offences, known as organised drug-facilitated sexual assault, after a 2025 tip-off by German journalists about a platform used to facilitate them. The crime agency found "a truly international network with group members identified in dozens of countries spanning every continent", said NCA deputy director Nigel Leary. As a result of the NCA probe into the online platform, which was not named, eight people in the UK have been arrested. There are a total of 14 separate investigations ongoing in the UK and abroad. The NCA said it had identified over 270 individuals linked to the forum and its offshoots. "Drug-facilitated sexual assault is no longer isolated behaviour, but increasingly organised," said Leary, adding that it was being enabled by digital platforms. "The scale of what we have seen so far is deeply concerning," Mr. Leary told journalists at a briefing, adding that such crimes are often "under-detected and under-reported" because the victim may not remember the abuse as a result of being sedated. It's a "serious and evolving threat, rooted in domestic abuse," said Helen Millichap, director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection. The online and connected nature of the abuse means the "dimensions are changing", added Ms. Millichap. Multiple investigations into such organised drugging and sexual offences are under way in the U.K. In Stockport, Manchester, in the northwest, the husband of a woman who was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted is set to stand trial in September alongside 12 other men accused of taking part in the sexual abuse. Last week, investigators from Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, the United States and Europol met in London to share information on possible cases, said the NCA. As part of a separate operation into such offences, EU law enforcement agency Europol said the group of countries had identified 156 victims and perpetrators of drug-facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA). "The operation focused on DFSA primarily in intimate-partner settings, particularly in the context of misogynist online communities," Europol said in a statement about its Project Medusa probe. The global operation has found four new "misogynist online communities", Europol said. Copyright© 2026, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Eight arrested in U.K. probe into international network of men drugging, raping partners

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Eight arrested in U.K. probe into international network of men drugging, raping partners

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