Dutch police have arrested four men in an investigation into women being drugged and sexually assaulted, with overtones of the Gisèle Pelicot case that shook France.
Authorities say multiple women may have been drugged by someone in their immediate circle, then sexually assaulted and filmed. The suspects were detained after police acted on intelligence from Germany and the UK.
Police are analyzing evidence to determine the number of victims. The suspects are believed to have used social media chat groups to share images of abuse and methods for drugging people.
Milou van der Kolk of the Rotterdam Sexual Crimes Team described the case as having an enormous impact. More arrests are possible as investigators examine computers, phones, and data storage devices seized in raids.
In December 2024, Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband Dominique and 50 other men were convicted of sexually assaulting her while she was drugged and unconscious over nearly a decade.