At least eight people have been arrested in the UK after investigations into online networks that encourage men to drug and rape women, the National Crime Agency has said.
The agency has identified 270 people linked to forums where footage of coordinated sexual abuse is shared online – crimes which echo the case of Gisèle Pelicot, a French woman who was repeatedly drugged by her husband and attacked by dozens of men.
The NCA said the abuse is usually perpetrated by a long-term partner, with offending “often taking place over decades”.
Its deputy director Nigel Leary warned drug facilitated sexual assault “is no longer isolated behaviour” and is “increasingly organised”.
The 270 individuals identified since October 2025 were linked to one particular forum and associated sites.
Evidence gathered by the NCA in relation to the abuse websites has been sent to several law enforcement agencies overseas.
Fourteen investigations are under way and eight victims have been identified and supported.
The NCA said it had put in place a coordinated response with prosecutors and other safeguarding bodies in order to identify and help victims.
Representatives of law agencies from Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States met in London last week to “share information on suspected offenders, victims and online groups”, the NCA said.
That led to more than 150 offenders and victims being identified, as well as four new online communities.
Siobhan Blake, national CPS lead for rape and serious sexual offences, said: “The abuse we’re discussing is some of the most horrifying I have seen in my career.
“Victims are being subject to horrendous sexual offending in their own homes in an ultimate breach of trust.
“This offending thrives in secrecy online and behind closed doors. It is the job of the criminal justice system to bring it out into the open to deliver for victims and survivors.”
Deputy assistant commissioner Helen Millichap, director of the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, said victims may not realise what has happened to them for some time.
She said: “If something doesn’t feel right, you do not need proof or a clear memory to seek help.
“Police and support services will make sure you are listened to, taken seriously and given the care you need.”
In an interview with the BBC earlier this year, Pelicot told BBC Newsnight she was “crushed by horror” on discovering that her husband had repeatedly rendered her unconscious and invited dozens of men to rape her.
The 73-year-old waived her right to anonymity to speak about her ordeal and campaign for victims, while her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot was jailed for 20 years.
Details of help and support with sexual abuse or violence are available at BBC Action Line.
