Outpoll | USC PhD Student Charged with Serial Rapes and Drugging

News
AI
USC PhD Student Charged with Serial Rapes and Drugging

USC PhD Student Charged with Serial Rapes and Drugging

21 hours ago7 min read4 comments

In a case that has sent shockwaves through academic circles and heightened concerns about campus safety, Los Angeles authorities have revealed disturbing details about a University of Southern California graduate student they describe as a serial sexual predator. Weng Sizhe, a 30-year-old Chinese national who also goes by Steven Weng, now faces a litany of felony charges including forcible rape, with prosecutors alleging a pattern of drugging and assaulting multiple women.The timing of the announcement adds another layer of urgency; while Weng was arrested on August 28th, the district attorney and police only released formal statements this past Wednesday, a delay that has left a community grappling for answers and fearing there may be more victims yet to come. This case echoes a troubling national narrative, reminiscent of the Brock Turner scandal at Stanford, forcing a painful re-examination of the protections afforded to students, particularly within powerful institutions.Weng has entered a plea of not guilty to all eight counts, but the sheer gravity of the allegations paints a picture of calculated predation. As a PhD student, Weng occupied a position of implied trust and intellectual privilege, a status that investigators believe may have been weaponized to lower the defenses of his alleged victims.The international dimension of his status as a Chinese national introduces complex diplomatic and legal considerations, potentially complicating the proceedings. For the survivors now stepping forward, the path to justice is fraught with the emotional trauma of reliving their assaults and the systemic hurdles often faced in prosecuting such intimate crimes.This is not merely a criminal case; it is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that persist even in environments of higher learning, a crisis that demands not only legal accountability but a fundamental shift in how universities prevent, respond to, and support victims of sexual violence. The LAPD's active search for additional potential victims underscores the chilling possibility that this case's full scope remains unknown, leaving a city and a campus on edge, waiting for the next, heartbreaking update.