Police report
Jul 2, 2026, 10:04Jul 2, 2026, 10:08
According to a report from Europol, international investigators have for the first time taken targeted action against online networks of men who drug their partners and then sexually abuse them. They would then post recordings of the abuse online. Europol in The Hague announced that 156 suspected victims and perpetrators had been identified. The Federal Criminal Police Office and the Hamburg State Criminal Police Office were significantly involved in the “Medusa Project”.
According to Europol, the operation in June led to 274 new leads. A total of nine countries were involved in the operation. German and British authorities were in charge. The European police authority coordinated the operation. Europol did not provide any details about the perpetrators or victims, such as home countries, citing the ongoing investigation.
Men exchange videos and tips
According to Europol, perpetrators are primarily men who first drug their own partners and then sexually abuse them. They would then share footage of this in misogynistic groups on social media. There the perpetrators also exchanged their experiences and tips. They also provided information about the effectiveness of the drugs or narcotics and how to obtain them. Four new such networks were discovered during the latest operation.
These crimes are reminiscent of the case of the French woman Gisèle Pelicot. She was repeatedly drugged, abused and offered to rape dozens of strangers by her then husband Dominique for almost ten years.
No isolated cases
“Project Medusa” was launched in April with the aim of dismantling the online networks behind this abuse. According to Europol, 57 men have been arrested and 158 victims have been brought to safety in the countries involved since April. In June, the Dutch police arrested four suspected perpetrators following tips from their British and German colleagues. (leo/sda/dpa)