Trigger warning: this article contains references to sexual assault.
Our community has been shocked and appalled by the crimes committed by former student, Zhenhao Zou, who was convicted of multiple rape and other serious offences in March following a trial at Inner London Crown Court. We know that for some in our community, the news of his sentencing today will be a difficult and painful reminder.
Throughout this deeply distressing case, our thoughts have remained with the survivors. At the time of the conviction, we released a statement paying tribute to the bravery of the women who reported these crimes and gave evidence at the trial. You can read that full statement here.
Our focus continues to be on supporting our community, and we would like to reshare the support available for any of our students, alumni and staff who have been affected by any of the issues raised in this case. This includes 24/7 access to confidential support lines and access to mental health professionals including trained counsellors and psychologists. We can also provide support through our partnerships with specialist organisations including Rape Crisis.
Find more information on this page including how you can access support available.
Reporting incidents and the Metropolitan Police appeal
We fully supported the Metropolitan Police throughout their investigations and thank both the Police and Crown Prosecution Service for ensuring this offender was brought to justice.We continue to support the Police appeal and encourage anyone with information related to these crimes to contact the Police through their public appeal on this webpage , by emailing survivors@met.police.uk or calling 101, if they are comfortable doing so.
Anyone affected at UCL can also report any incidents to us through our online reporting too l’and access Crime Prevention and Personal Safety support on and off campus. We will also support members of our community with reporting an incident to the Police, if they wish to do so.
How can you access support?
If you have been affected by sexual violence or are impacted by hearing this news, it is important to know that you have a choice in how to proceed and that support is available to you. Please remember that this is not your fault. You are not alone and we are here to support anyone in our community affected by this.Supporting staff
- We understand that many UCL staff will be the first point of contact for conversations about wellbeing or for those facing difficulties, and we have a number of support systems in place to support staff in student-facing roles or as employee line managers.
Staff affected by sexual violence or by this news can access confidential, free mental health and wellbeing support at any time through the Employee Assistance Programme. You can call 0808 196 5808 to speak to a professional counsellor or information specialist in confidence.
Workplace Health have resources here , including information on emotional health and wellbeing and services such as Mental Health First Aid-trained staff, the chaplaincy team and wellbeing champions.
More information on how staff can support students and staff with wellbeing conversations can be found here. This includes a newly expanded Student Triage and Referral Tool, guidance on handling disclosures to you, and mental health training for line managers.
Staff and students can also report sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment to the University via the Report + Support website which will link them to specialist support and guidance from the appropriate teams. These include HR, the Crime Prevention and Personal Safety team and UCL’s dignity advisers, depending on their situation and preference. UCL HR Business Partners and dignity advisers (who provide an informal, confidential information service to staff and students on issues including sexual misconduct) will provide support on how UCL can take the incident forward, in line with their preferences.
In an emergency, always call 999. For students in need of an urgent support but not an emergency response, you can submit a Student of Concern referral: Student of Concern form
Supporting students
Our student support teams consist of over 300 dedicated professionals who offer a confidential, non-judgmental space for students to discuss any issues or concerns, whether on or off campus. These staff have been trained in handling sensitive disclosures, including sexual violence.There is a range of extensive support available to all students, you can find about support available to students here.
Supporting alumni
All UCL alumni can contact the UCL Alumni Wellbeing Service who will provide 24/7 confidential, free mental health and wellbeing support at any time in multiple languages. We also offer access to a digital wellbeing platform and app, and drop-in sessions with a mental health specialist in person or online.Action against sexual violence
Awareness is key to preventing sexual violence in our community and our students and staff play a crucial role. This is why we continually invest in a range of preventative education and training:- Universities across the UK recognise the devastating impact of sexual violence on students and wider society and are taking action to raise awareness, prevent and address these issues. We are working actively with partners across higher education, government, charity and police to tackle these issues, as well as with our own students.
- We are working with partners including Camden Safety Partnerships to support community safety initiatives, such as Camden Safety Hub - a dedicated safe space for anyone who needs help on a night out.
As part of our ongoing commitment to preventing and tackling sexual violence, we have implemented a range of programmes and initiatives, supported by specialist partners such as Rape Crisis, Survivors Network and Stamp Out Spiking , to protect, support and educate our community.
Launched ten years ago, more than 50,000 students have been trained through our Active Bystanders programme to safely intervene to stop harassment, bullying, racism and sexual misconduct. It is the largest programme of its kind in higher education and will become mandatory for all students from September 2025.
All staff in our bars and venues have undertaken the CPL Drink Spiking awareness course and are trained in how to implement the Ask for Angela scheme. We also have freely available drink lids, spiking testing kits and bottle stops in all’our student union venues.
Security is available across campus 24/7 and lead security staff receive specialised training around supporting student welfare and vulnerability.
We continue to deepen the training that our staff and SU staff receive with an additional 300 staff trained through Stamp Out Spiking during Spring Term 2025.
Please see the previous statement on the court case here.
- University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT (0) 20 7679 2000
