A years-long investigation in Germany has exposed an alleged online network where members used encrypted messaging groups to exchange instructions, celebrate sexual assaults and share recordings of crimes against women, according to prosecutors and court documents reviewed by The Associated Press.The network, which investigators say operated mainly through Telegram groups, allegedly involved predominantly Chinese men living in Germany who targeted mostly Chinese women. Authorities have linked several suspects to the groups, leading to multiple convictions and ongoing trials as investigators continue examining the scale of the crimes.Prosecutors described the alleged activities as involving systematic planning, extreme dehumanisation of victims and the use of drugs to facilitate sexual assaults. Frankfurt chief prosecutor Dominik Mies told AP that the suspects displayed “particular ruthlessness,” along with a disturbing pattern of objectifying victims and carefully preparing their crimes.Telegram chats allegedly used to exchange rape methods and drugging adviceAccording to German investigators, members disguised their activities behind the name “German driving school for experts,” using coded language to discuss sexual violence. Prosecutors said members referred to women as “cars,” drugs as “fuel,” and rape as “driving,” creating a vocabulary designed to normalise abuse.Court documents reportedly showed that some participants shared photographs and videos of assaults on unconscious victims while discussing methods to sedate women. Victims were allegedly referred to with degrading terms, reflecting the misogynistic nature of the group’s communications.Investigators have been analysing around two dozen Telegram chats, some of which reportedly existed since at least 2020. While authorities have not publicly confirmed the total number of victims, they believe the investigation could expand further as more evidence is examined.One of the key figures identified by prosecutors is a man referred to in German courts as Dapeng Z. German authorities say he was central to the network and arrested him in 2024 through cooperation with Chinese law enforcement. He was sentenced in February to 14 years in prison for aggravated rape, attempted murder and other offences, although he has appealed the ruling.Victims receive support as trials expose wider concernsThe cases have drawn attention from Germany’s Chinese community, particularly women who have attended court hearings to show solidarity with survivors. Many have expressed anger over the attitudes allegedly displayed by members of the network.Fu Xiao, who travelled about 500 kilometres to attend proceedings in Berlin, said the alleged perpetrators’ treatment of women showed a deep disregard for victims’ humanity.Germany’s strict privacy laws have limited the amount of information prosecutors can release publicly, and parts of ongoing trials have been closed to the public. This has restricted broader awareness of the investigation despite its seriousness.Global investigations into drug-facilitated sexual assault networksGerman authorities say the investigation reflects a wider international problem involving online communities that promote sexual violence and drug-facilitated assaults.The cases have been compared with the high-profile trial of Gisèle Pelicot in France, where a court heard that she was repeatedly drugged and raped over several years by her former husband and other men he invited.German judge Markus Koppenleitner said during one of the trials that such crimes should not be viewed as limited to any single country or nationality, describing them as a global issue.