A network of Telegram group allegedly used coded language to discuss sexual assaults, drugging methods and attacks on women, with prosecutors saying members disguised their activities behind terms such as ‘cars’, ‘fuel’ and ‘driving’.The groups called themselves the “German driving school for experts”, but prosecutors said the chats had a different purpose. According to court documents, members allegedly used the platform to boast about rapes and share advice on drugging victims.In posts that sometimes included photos and videos of attacks on unconscious victims, members reportedly referred to women as ‘cars’, sedatives as ‘fuel’ and rape as ‘driving’. They also used the term ‘dead pigs’ for victims, according to court documents.Investigators have examined years of posts from around two dozen Telegram groups that authorities believe were part of an online predator network involving mainly Chinese men targeting mostly Chinese women in Germany. The investigation has resulted in convictions of several members, with another case recently concluded in Berlin. “The perpetrators were characterized by a particular ruthlessness, an objectification of the victims, and the perfidious planning of their crimes,” Frankfurt chief prosecutor Dominik Mies told The Associated Press.German authorities have not disclosed the full scale of the alleged network, including the number of victims or suspects linked to the chats. Prosecutors have also not confirmed whether the groups are connected to wider investigations into drug-facilitated sexual assaults by online communities.The cases have drawn comparisons with the trial of French woman Gisèle Pelicot, who was repeatedly drugged and raped over several years after her then-husband invited other men to their home.“Pelicot is not an isolated case,” Judge Markus Koppenleitner said during a hearing in Munich, according to AP. “This is not a Chinese or French phenomenon, but one that also exists in Germany and, ultimately, worldwide.”The investigation has also raised questions about the use of Telegram for criminal activity. The company said in a statement that “sexual violence is explicitly forbidden by Telegram’s terms of service and such content is routinely removed.” The famous chat application added that it “fulfils all of its legal obligations” regarding harmful content under European Union regulations.The app’s founder was arrested in Paris in 2024 over alleged platform misuse. He denied wrongdoing, blaming rapid user growth for “growing pains” that enabled criminal abuse.Court documents show some of the German chats dated back to at least 2020. Attorney Magdalena Gebhard, who represented a victim in an earlier Berlin trial, said there was an inner circle of eight alleged perpetrators and that some groups had up to 50,000 members.Police became aware of the network in 2024 after a man identified by German courts as Dapeng Z. allegedly changed his approach from targeting acquaintances to strangers met online, prosecutors said. He was reported as the group’s ringleader. Dapeng was later sentenced to 14 years in prison for aggravated rape, attempted murder and other offences, though he has appealed.On Wednesday, Zhiting S. , a 32-year-old trained medic, was convicted in Berlin of being an accessory to rape and other charges and sentenced to five years in prison. His defence team said it would appeal. German and Chinese state media reported he was part of the group’s inner circle. Prosecutors said he advised a Telegram network on drugs used to sedate women before assaults. His defence team said it would appeal.
