Zoe Watts Launches #EndEyeCheck After 400-Plus Survivors Report Drug-Facilitated Rape
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 22
Zoe Watts Launches #EndEyeCheck After 400-Plus Survivors Report Drug-Facilitated Rape
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 22
Summary
More than 400 people have completed an online #EndEyeCheck survey since Zoe Watts set up the survivor-led campaign to document drug-facilitated rape, a crime she says remains largely unseen and poorly understood.
Watts, 43, founded the group after her ex-husband was jailed for 11 years for drugging and raping her, and after meeting other survivors including Amanda Stanhope through reporting on similar abuse networks.
The campaign is pushing for DFSA education in schools, an inquiry into policing and prosecutions, better medical awareness of warning signs, and bans on "sleep content" hosted on pornography sites.
Recent UK cases underscore the scale: a man in Northampton admitted filming assaults on his allegedly drugged or sleeping partner, former councillor Philip Young pleaded guilty earlier this year, and 14 men are due in court in September.
International scrutiny is also widening, with Germany- and UK-led Project Medusa launched in April and already identifying 156 perpetrators and victims across multiple countries.
Is 'sleep content' on porn sites creating a new kind of perpetrator, or just providing a new tool for an old one?
This 'silent crime' hid in plain sight for decades. Are our medical and justice systems prepared for the coming wave of revelations?
As criminal networks migrate online, can international police operations ever truly dismantle the digital infrastructure enabling this abuse?
Global Crackdown on Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault: 156 Victims Identified, 57 Arrests, and the Launch of #EndEyeCheck Campaign
Overview
In July 2026, international law enforcement intensified efforts against drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA), recognizing both sedating a person and sexual violence as serious crimes. These investigations are complex and often require cross-border cooperation, as revealed by Project MEDUSA. The project highlighted how online communities and influencers promote extreme misogynistic ideologies, systematically dehumanizing women and justifying violence and coercion. These groups normalize non-consensual acts by spreading the belief that sexual access to women can be taken without consent. Addressing these harmful ideologies is crucial for effective prevention and justice.