Inside 'Rape Academies': Network Where Men Are Taught To Drug, Assault Women

A month-long investigation by CNN has uncovered a disturbing global network of online communities where men openly discuss, plan, and share content involving the drugging and sexual assault of women, often their own partners. Published in March and April 2026 as part of its 'As Equals' series, the investigation reveals the existence of so-called 'rape academies' -  hidden digital spaces where abuse is normalised, taught, and, in some cases, monetised.

Across social media platforms, private forums, and encrypted apps like Telegram, members exchange step-by-step methods on how to incapacitate women using sedatives, avoid detection, and film assaults. Victims are frequently wives or girlfriends, targeted within their own homes.

62 Million Visits

One of the main platforms identified is Motherless.com, which reportedly logged around 62 million visits in February 2026 alone. The site hosts thousands of videos under categories such as 'sleep' or 'passedout,' where women appear unconscious. In some clips, perpetrators lift victims' eyelids - a practice referred to as 'eyecheck' to demonstrate they are sedated. Several such videos have garnered tens of thousands of views.

Investigators also found private chat groups, including one known as 'Zzz,' where users shared explicit advice on drugging women, including substances, dosages, and methods to conceal them in food or drinks.

In some cases, individuals attempted to profit by offering so-called 'sleeping liquids' for sale or advertising live-streamed assaults in exchange for cryptocurrency. The man, claiming to be based in Ceuta, stated on Telegram that the liquid would cost 150 euros (around Rs 13,000) per bottle, describing it as tasteless and odourless.

"Your wife won't feel anything and won't remember anything," he said.

French lawmaker Sandrine Josso, herself a survivor of drug-facilitated abuse, described these networks as "online rape academies" and "schools of violence" that enable perpetrators to learn and replicate abuse with impunity.

The investigation also highlights real-world consequences. In yet another case, Zoe Watts discovered her husband of 16 years had been crushing her son's sleeping medication into her tea and sexually assaulting her while she was unconscious. "We worry about who's coming behind us, walking down the street, or who's even friending us on Facebook. You know, we worry about going to our car late at night in a car park, but we don't worry about who you lie next to. I didn't realize I had to," Watts said.

Her ex-husband confessed to the abuse on a seemingly ordinary Sunday in 2018, after they had returned from church with their four children. Following CNN's reporting, authorities were able to identify and arrest at least one prominent member of such networks in Poland.

The scale of these communities is vast. Some groups reportedly have tens of thousands of members across countries, who communicate largely in English and share images, videos, and instructions. The anonymity of the internet not only shields users but also fosters a sense of community that normalises and encourages criminal behaviour, experts say. 

A Pattern Seen Before

The dangers of such online ecosystems gained global attention during the Dominique Pelicot trial in 2024. The landmark case that horrified France and sparked a global conversation about consent concluded in late 2024 with the conviction of Pelicot and 50 other men. 

Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison for repeatedly drugging his wife, Gisele, and facilitating her rape by dozens of men he contacted through an online forum. She was assaulted over 200 times by at least 70 men, some of whom were never identified.

The case briefly exposed how digital platforms can enable coordinated sexual violence. While the website involved was eventually shut down, investigators warn that similar networks continue to operate, often at a massive scale and largely unchecked.