Cops probing first rape case in 'metaverse' after kid 'attacked' in video game

02 January 2024 , 11:17

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A woman plays a virtual reality game (file image) (Image: Getty Images)

Police are investigating the first case of rape in the metaverse after a child was "sexually attacked" in a virtual reality video game.

It is said a gang of men raped the avatar of a girl aged under 16 during a video game. The victim wasn't physically injured but is said to have suffered the same psychological and emotional trauma as someone who has been raped in the "real world".

Although there was no physical attack, the online strangers allegedly raped the character in the game - an incident believed to be under investigation by police in the UK. The "VR (virtual reality)" experience of modern games is designed to be completely immersive and users wear a headset to be part of this. NSPCC estimates that 15 per cent of children aged between five and ten have used one and 6 per cent use one daily.

Headsets, popular gifts for kids this Christmas, offer the users the chance to live a digitised, fantasy life. In this instance, it is thought the victim was in an online "room" with a large number of fellow users when the virtual assault by several adult men took place.

Police leaders are now calling for legislation to tackle a wave of sexual offending in such a sphere, saying officers’ tactics must evolve to stop perverts using new technology to exploit children. However, the landmark case has prompted questions about whether police should be pursuing virtual offences.

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Virtual reality games are becoming increasingly popular (file image) (Getty Images)

It is unclear what game the teenage girl was playing at the time of the alleged offence. However, there have been a number of reported sex attacks on Horizon Worlds, a free VR online game run by Facebook’s owner, Meta. Nina Jane Patel, a psychotherapist who conducts research on the metaverse, has described a "surreal nightmare" of being gang raped in Horizon Venues.

And the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Child Protection and Abuse Investigation Lead, Ian Critchley, warned "the metaverse creates a gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children". Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: "We know offenders' tactics to groom and commit offences are constantly evolving. This is why our collective fight against predators like in this case, is essential to ensuring young people are protected online and can use technology safely without threat or fear.

The "metaverse" creates a gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children, crimes we know have lifelong impacts both emotionally and mentally. As such, our policing approach must continually evolve to enable us to relentlessly pursue predators and safeguard victims across all online spaces."

Speaking to Daily Mail, a spokesperson for the company said: "The kind of behaviour described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you don’t know a few feet away from you." The Mirror has contacted Meta for comment.

Bradley Jolly