An international police operation spanning seven countries has uncovered highly organized networks of offenders who drug and rape their partners and use online chat groups to aid and encourage their assaults, authorities said.
Operation Medusa
The operation, dubbed Project Medusa, has identified more than 150 offenders and victims, and opened more than 270 new leads. Fifty-seven people have been arrested, and the true scale of these crimes and number of victims is unknown and almost certainly underreported.
Perpetrators seek to objectify and dehumanize their victims and in some cases the abuse takes place over decades. They use encrypted messaging services, forums, and closed chat groups to exchange experiences, normalize abusive behavior, facilitate the illegal trade in prescription medications and narcotics, and coordinate criminal acts.
Police warn that victims can be any age, social background or ability, and have encouraged anyone who suspects they have been a victim of drug-facilitated sexual assault to come forward.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
