CNN investigation: Exposing a global 'rape academy'
5 hours ago
- #investigation
- #online_abuse
- #sexual_assault
- A CNN investigation uncovers online groups on platforms like Telegram and Motherless.com where men share advice on drugging and sexually assaulting their partners, filming and distributing the abuse.
- Survivors, including Zoe Watts, Amanda Stanhope, and Valentina, share devastating personal stories of being drugged and raped by their husbands, highlighting the trauma and societal stigma they face.
- Experts describe these online communities as 'rape academies' that normalize violence, with platforms often shielded by legal protections like US safe harbor laws, making accountability difficult.
- Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is underreported due to factors like victim shame, memory loss, and lack of training among police and medical professionals, with conviction rates remaining low.
- Perpetrators are increasingly using prescription drugs like zolpidem (Ambien) that act quickly and leave little trace, complicating detection and legal prosecution.
- Telegram removed the 'Zzz' group after CNN's inquiry, but similar sites persist, illustrating the ongoing challenge of combating such abuse online.