Authorities allege the network, composed mainly of Chinese men targeting predominantly Chinese women in Germany, operated through roughly two dozen Telegram chat groups where members exchanged advice on facilitating sexual assaults, celebrated attacks and shared photos and videos of unconscious victims.

The investigation has so far led to the convictions of four alleged members, including one defendant sentenced in Berlin on Wednesday, while prosecutors say inquiries remain ongoing and additional arrests are possible.

Coded language concealed alleged crimes

According to court documents, members referred to their network as the “German driving school for experts” and used coded terms to disguise discussions of sexual violence.

Investigators said the group referred to sedatives as “fuel” or “oil,” drugging victims as “filling up,” and rape as “driving.” Attractive women were described as “luxury cars,” while unconscious victims were allegedly referred to as “dead pigs.”

Prosecutors said members also exchanged information about where to obtain drugs and discussed methods of targeting women.

Frankfurt Chief Prosecutor Dominik Mies said the alleged perpetrators demonstrated exceptional cruelty.

“The perpetrators were characterized by a particular ruthlessness, an objectification of the victims, and the perfidious planning of their crimes,” Mies told The Associated Press.

Investigation remains ongoing

Authorities have not disclosed how many assaults or suspects have been linked to the Telegram groups, some of which reportedly attracted tens of thousands of members.

German privacy laws have limited the amount of information prosecutors can release publicly while investigations continue. Court proceedings have also been partially closed to the public.

The limited public disclosure has meant the investigation has received less attention within Germany than comparable criminal cases.

Nevertheless, members of Germany’s Chinese community, particularly women, have attended court hearings in support of victims.

“What makes one really angry is to see that such groups hate women, they have no respect,” said Fu Xiao, who traveled approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) to attend proceedings in Berlin.

“Women aren’t seen as people.”

Chinese discussion partly restricted

The prosecutions have received extensive coverage in Chinese state media, but discussion on Chinese-language social media platforms has reportedly faced partial censorship.

According to The Associated Press, posts using direct references to the German prosecutions were more likely to be removed from Rednote, while broader terms such as “date rape” or references to Chinese students in Germany remained visible.

China’s Ministry of Public Security and Rednote did not respond to requests for comment.

Cases draw comparisons with France’s Pelicot trial

German judges have compared the investigation to the widely publicized case of Gisèle Pelicot in France, whose former husband was convicted after repeatedly drugging and sexually assaulting her while inviting dozens of other men to participate.

Judge Markus Koppenleitner said during one of the German proceedings that such crimes are not isolated incidents.

“Pelicot is not an isolated case,” he said. “This is not a Chinese or French phenomenon, but one that also exists in Germany and, ultimately, worldwide.”

International investigations expand

Authorities say similar investigations have emerged elsewhere, although no formal link has been publicly established.

In Los Angeles, police are prosecuting a Chinese graduate student accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women after German investigators shared information regarding a potential suspect.

Dutch police last month arrested four men suspected of drugging and sexually abusing women after receiving information from authorities in Germany and the United Kingdom. Investigators said the suspects allegedly shared videos of assaults and exchanged advice through social media chat groups.

Meanwhile, Europol recently announced “Project Medusa,” an international operation led by Germany and the United Kingdom to dismantle online communities promoting drug-facilitated sexual assaults. The operation has already resulted in 57 arrests.

Telegram faces renewed scrutiny

The investigation has renewed questions about Telegram’s handling of criminal activity on its platform.

Telegram said sexual violence is explicitly prohibited under its terms of service and that such material is routinely removed in compliance with legal obligations, including the European Union’s Digital Services Act.

The company did not answer specific questions about how the German chat groups allegedly remained active for years, whether it had been aware of the activity or whether it alerted law enforcement.

Court documents indicate some of the chat groups dated back to at least 2020.

Attorney Magdalena Gebhard, who represented one victim in an earlier Berlin case, said investigators identified an alleged core group of eight perpetrators, although some Telegram groups reportedly had as many as 50,000 members.

Authorities became aware of the network in 2024 after investigators linked a Frankfurt suspect, identified by German courts as Dapeng Z., to assaults involving women he met online.

German police arrested him in cooperation with Chinese authorities. He was sentenced in February to 14 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated rape, attempted murder and other offenses. He has appealed the conviction.

Gebhard said one of her clients only discovered she had been sexually assaulted after investigators recovered video evidence during the investigation.

Berlin court convicts another defendant

On Wednesday, Berlin’s state court sentenced 32-year-old Zhiting S., a trained medic, to five years in prison after convicting him of being an accessory to rape and three counts of sexual coercion.

The court found that he had advised another convicted offender on the use of a specific sedative before an assault.

He was also convicted over separate sexual coercion offenses involving his partner in China after investigators discovered video recordings during the inquiry.

Defense attorney Ehssan Khazaeli previously said his client acknowledged participating in one of the Telegram chat groups but denied providing significant advice. The defense plans to appeal the verdict.

Prosecutors say investigations into the broader Telegram network remain active, with additional suspects and victims potentially yet to be identified.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 in the U.S., 116 016 in Germany or 15117905157 in China.

This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Article Topics: Germany | Telegram | Sexual Assault | Criminal Investigation | Cybercrime | Women’s Safety | Europol | China

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