In UK, 16-year-old girl virtually ‘gang-raped’, cops launch probe; Metaverse game draws focus

New Delhi: The UK police are currently investigating what seems like the very first “rape” case in the virtual world in which a 16-year-old girl was allegedly sexually attacked by a group of men in the Metaverse.

Although the virtual sexual attack didn’t cause any physical injuries to the victim, the victim claimed that she suffered similar intense mental trauma & breakdown as if she had been sexually assaulted in the real world.

UK Girl Gang Raped in Meta Verse

As per a report published in Daily Mail UK, the crime unfolded when the young girl was playing an immersive game in a Virtual world using a VR Box when her character in the game was sexually assaulted & raped by the avatars of a group of men who gang raped her in the virtual world.

Following the incident, the Home Secretary of the UK James Cleverly supported the ongoing investigation against the culprits while condemning such virtual acts that give victims psychological trauma and adversely affect their mental health.

Cleverly also said that although one might claim that it was just a virtual thing and nothing was done in real, it is important to consider how immersive and real these virtual games are.

“Here we’re talking about a child who has gone through mental trauma. It had a very adverse psychological effect on her health, and we should be thoughtful about being dismissive of this.” he continued.

National Police Chiefs’ Ian Critchley also raised concern on the incidents of virtual sexual assaults while highlighting that platforms like Metaverse have become a hotspot for sexual predators & perverts.

He also insisted that tech giant companies should come up with security policies and rules to combat such virtual crimes and enhance the safety of the users.

About Horizon Worlds

Horizon Worlds is a free multiplayer virtual reality Metaverse game that was launched back in December 2021. However, on numerous occasions, the game has grabbed headlines for several virtual sexual assaults that were swept under the carpet with no action being taken about them to this date.

Back in 2022 as well, a 43-year-old woman from the UK claimed that she faced sexual abuse at the hands of a group of strangers while playing the VR game Horizon Venues. She said that within 60 seconds into the game, her avatar was approached by 4 male avatars who gang-raped her character virtually and even clicked pictures of the heinous act.