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Doctoral student filmed drugging and raping women

Zhenhao Zou, a 28-year-old doctoral student from China, has been sentenced to life in prison for drugging and raping a large number of women in the UK and China. This is reported by British media.

The perpetrator is said to have filmed the rapes and collected trophies from the women. According to prosecutors, ten victims have been identified, but London police fear that around 50 more women may have been subjected to similar abuse by the man.

Several media outlets describe Zhenhao Zou as one of the worst sex offenders in British criminal history. He will spend at least 24 years in prison. 

Brazil's abortion laws
Clinics in Rio forced to warn about abortions: "Pervert law"

A new law has come into force in Rio de Janeiro that requires all public hospitals and clinics in the Brazilian city to put up signs with messages against abortions, reports The Guardian.

Brazil has very restrictive abortion laws, and activists see the local signs as part of a national trend. At clinics that perform abortions, women are greeted by signs urging them to “give life a chance” and warning them that abortions can lead to “infertility, mental health problems and death.”

That claim is not true, says Debora Diniz, a professor of anthropology.

“This law is perverse because it is based on a false notion that it protects women and girls, when in fact it persecutes them.”

27-year-old rape victim denied abortion

Brazilian women seeking abortions face many obstacles even in cases where the country’s restrictive abortion laws allow it, reports the AP.

A 27-year-old rape victim the news agency spoke to says she was denied an abortion because she did not bring a police report to the clinic. But that is not necessary, according to legal experts.

Instead, the pregnancy was terminated at home, with a couple of friends at the house and with drugs bought illegally.

– I fainted several times because of the pain. I was afraid I was going to die.

Great Britain one step closer to active euthanasia

The British Parliament votes to legalize active euthanasia, British media reports.

314 members of parliament voted for the proposal and 291 were against it, which means that the proposal passed the chamber by a margin of 23 votes. When parliament voted on the proposal in November, it passed by a margin of 55 votes.

The result of Friday's vote does not mean that active euthanasia has been legalized. Before that happens, the proposal must pass the House of Lords. 

Tears in Parliament: “I know what this means”

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater is delighted that the British House of Commons has voted to allow assisted dying, writes the BBC. She is the one who pushed the issue through and says she is relieved after Friday’s vote.

When the result was announced, she burst into tears.

– I know what this means for terminally ill people and their families.

In an interview with Sky News, she says that she understands that it is an issue that stirs up emotions, but that the debate has been conducted in a dignified manner.

According to the proposal, people with less than six months left to live will be entitled to assisted dying if it is approved by two doctors and a panel consisting of people from several other professional groups.