At least eight arrests linked to forums promoting the drugging and rape of women

At least eight people have been arrested in the UK in an investigation into online networks that encourage men to take drugs and seduce women, the National Crime Agency has announced.

The agency identified 270 people linked to platforms where images of organized sexual abuse were shared online – crimes like those of Giselle Pellicote, the French woman who was repeatedly drugged by her husband and assaulted by dozens of people.

The NCA says abuse is often committed by a long-term partner, “often over decades.”

Deputy Director Nigel Leary warned that drug-facilitated sexual abuse was “no longer an isolated behaviour” and was “being organised”.

As of October 2025, the identified 270 individuals are linked to a specific platform and related sites.

Evidence related to abuse websites collected by the NCA has been sent to several law enforcement agencies overseas.

14 investigations are underway and eight victims have been identified and given support.

The NCA said it had launched a coordinated response with prosecutors and other law enforcement agencies to identify and assist victims.

Representatives of law enforcement agencies from Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States met in London last week to “share information on perpetrators, victims and online groups,” the NCA said.

This led to the identification of more than 150 perpetrators and victims, as well as four new online communities.

Siobhan Blake, CPS lead for rape and serious sexual offences, said: “The abuses we are discussing are some of the most horrific I have ever seen in my work.

“Victims are subjected to horrendous sexual assault in their own homes in the ultimate breach of trust.

“This crime thrives online in secrecy and behind closed doors. It’s the criminal justice system’s job to bring victims and survivors out into the open.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Millichap, director of the National Center for Violence Against Women and Public Protection, said victims may not know what happened to them for some time.

She said: “You don’t need proof or a clear memory to ask for help if something isn’t right.

“The police and support services will make sure you are heard, taken seriously and given the care you need.”

as if An interview with the BBC earlier this yearPellicote told BBC News Night that she was “devastated” when she found out that her husband had repeatedly exposed himself to her and that dozens of men had assaulted her.

The 73-year-old has been stripped of her right to speak out about her ordeal and victims campaigning, and her ex-husband Dominic Pellicote has been jailed for 20 years.

Details of help and support about sexual assault or abuse can be found at BBC Action Line.