German court jails members of Telegram-based sexual assault network

A German court has sentenced several members of a criminal group that used the messaging platform Telegram to coordinate the drugging, sexual assault and secret filming of women, concluding a major investigation into a network that operated across several countries.

The group, made up primarily of Chinese nationals, communicated through a Telegram channel called "German Driving School," where members used coded language to discuss their crimes. According to investigators, the word "fuel" referred to anaesthetic agents and sedatives, while "car" was used as a code for intended victims, The Guardian reveals. 

Among those convicted was 26-year-old Tong Z., who was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison on charges including aggravated rape, causing serious bodily harm and invasion of privacy. During a search of his property, police seized more than two terabytes of photographs and videos documenting the abuse.

According to the investigation, between 2019 and 2024, Tong Z. secretly photographed and filmed multiple women from his social circle while they were asleep, showering or getting dressed at homes in Germany and during trips to Poland, Denmark and China.

Prosecutors said he also used a spare key to enter a neighbour's apartment in Berlin, where he installed a hidden camera in her bathroom. In 2024, he drugged a woman by lacing her drink with narcotics before raping and filming her. The victim, who has mild physical and intellectual disabilities, was heavily sedated and only became aware of the assault after being contacted by police during the investigation.

Court rulings issued this year identified Tong Z. as one of eight members of the Telegram group. Investigators said the men recorded the assaults, shared the footage within the group and congratulated one another on their crimes.

The administrator of the group, 44-year-old Dapeng Z., was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated rape and attempted murder. Another defendant, 28-year-old Chinese student Zhongyi J., received a prison sentence of more than 11 years on similar charges. German courts found that both men had knowingly administered life-threatening doses of drugs to their victims.

The investigation began in November 2024 following the arrest of Dapeng Z. Authorities said at least 11 women were victimised by the group, with many learning they had been assaulted only after being contacted by investigators.

Experts say such closed online communities that organise and encourage sexual violence are a global phenomenon and should not be associated with any particular nationality.

By Sabina Mammadli