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Scandal that shakes Europe: Men drugged their partners to rape them, international network revealed

2026-07-06 09:17:08Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Scandal that shakes Europe: Men drugged their partners to rape them,
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Men who rape women. Wives, partners, friends: drugged and medicated, given after learning how to do it online. The shock caused by the tragedy experienced in France by Gisèle Pelicot opened a "Pandora's box", where European police, collaborating among themselves and with law enforcement agencies around the world to connect evidence and clues, are uncovering a remarkable web of similar, if not identical, stories. So far, the first 57 arrests have been made in what are called "linked investigations", but it is clear that this is only the tip of the iceberg, for which very little information has been made public, so as not to compromise the investigative work.

Operation Medusa, coordinated by Europol and led by British and German authorities, uncovered an international network of drug-assisted rapes fueled by misogynistic online communities. In some ways it resembled the Phica website dismantled by Italian investigators, but it had a different purpose: not only sharing photos and videos, but also providing practical instructions on how to carry out these crimes. What might have seemed like isolated cases of women suddenly losing their senses or partners taking advantage of their spouse’s or partner’s weakness are revealing the existence of an organised criminal ecosystem fuelled by online communities that plan, facilitate and normalise sexual violence.

This is the first coordinated international operation specifically targeting sexual violence facilitated by the use of sedatives or narcotics. It involved investigators from Europe, North America and South America. From 22 to 24 June, 29 investigators from seven countries gathered at the National Crime Agency headquarters in London to compare data, link investigative information and analyse thousands of pieces of evidence collected over the previous months.

"These abuses are among the most horrific I have ever seen in my career. Victims are sexually assaulted inside their own homes, in an extreme breach of trust. This type of crime thrives in secrecy, online and behind closed doors," said Siobhan Blake, the UK Crown Prosecution Service's national lead for rape and serious sexual crimes.

Investigators identified four new misogynistic online communities and 156 individuals, including victims and suspected perpetrators. The joint work led to the opening of 113 criminal investigations and 274 new leads. The operation involves police forces from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil and the United States, under the analytical coordination of Europol, while Canada and Hungary are also cooperating. According to investigators, this represents only a partial picture of a much more widespread phenomenon.

In addition to so-called "date rape drugs," sedative medications are also used, which are regularly prescribed by doctors. The aim is to cause loss of consciousness, amnesia, and a reduced ability to react, making it particularly difficult to both report and prove the crime in court.

But the most worrying aspect is that most cases do not arise from casual encounters in nightclubs, but within relationships of trust. The Medusa Project focuses mainly on attacks that occur in intimate or family relationships, where the perpetrators are often partners, ex-partners or acquaintances. The investigators have not revealed which platforms were used, so as not to undermine the investigation, but describe closed networks based on encrypted messaging services, reserved forums and private groups, where users exchange advice on how to obtain medications, discuss methods of administration, plan attacks and share photos and videos of abuse, encouraging other members to do the same.

The case of Gisèle Pelicot, which shocked European public opinion, revealed that her husband drugged her with drugs for years, inviting dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious. The Medusa Project shows that this may not be an isolated case, but the visible part of a much wider phenomenon fueled by international digital communities. By comparing the data, the police were able to connect investigations that until then seemed like isolated episodes.

According to the British agency, the real number of victims is much higher than that identified so far: many of them do not remember what happened, attribute the symptoms to other causes or do not report them due to shame. And by the time they reach the hospital, it is often too late to detect the presence of substances in their bodies.

"In most cases, substance abuse and abuse occur within long-term intimate relationships and, in some cases, the crimes continue for decades," the agency explains. Since last October, British investigators have identified "more than 270 individuals associated with a specific online forum and its followers." The suspects and the connections between them were mostly international.


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