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 on Thursday.
International Cooperation
German and British crime agencies, with the help of law enforcement from the United States, Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Spain, have launched a joint operation to tackle the evolving threat, Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement Thursday.
In most cases, the victims are women who are sedated before being raped and sexually assaulted, Europol and Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said. The online groups provide a haven for predominantly male perpetrators to coordinate assaults, share information as well as post videos and photos of the abuse, they said.
Victim Profiles
Often, the victims have no idea they have been sexually assaulted until they are contacted by police, and the abuse is committed by someone they know and trust, and in some cases by multiple connected offenders, the agency said.
Since launching the cross-border police collaboration, dubbed Project Medusa, in April, European investigators say they have identified more than 150 offenders and victims, and opened more than 270 new leads. Fifty-seven people have been arrested, they said.
Perpetrators seek to objectify and dehumanize their victims and in some cases the abuse takes place over decades, said Europol, which is coordinating the operation.
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, it added.
Call to Action
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: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
