Law enforcement from the United Kingdom is investigating the first-ever case of virtual sexual assault where a girl's avatar was allegedly gang raped in the metaverse.
The chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Donna Jones said that she learned about the incident after a complaint was made in 2023 that triggered a police inquiry. The virtual incident did not result in any form of physical injury but caused "psychological trauma."
UK Police Investigate Virtual Sexual Assault
Police chiefs have called on platforms to do more to protect their users from harm. In a statement, the National Police Chiefs' Council's (NPCC) Ian Critchley said that the metaverse had created a "gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children.
He added that there needs to be more action taken by tech companies to ensure that their platforms become safe places for their users. The NPCC did not confirm which force had launched the investigation into the unprecedented virtual attack, as per BBC.
The virtual sexual assault supposedly occurred in a virtual reality (VR) game and the impact of the attack on the girl's avatar was said to be heightened because of the immersive nature of the VR experience.
An unnamed senior officer who was familiar with the matter spoke about the victim, who was identified to be 16 years old at the time of the crime. She allegedly suffered psychological trauma "similar to that of someone who has been physically raped."
However, under criminal law, rape and sexual assault require there to have been physical contact to be prosecuted. There are some who have argued that legal changes may be needed to ensure that people who are responsible for sexually motivated attacks on avatars in virtual worlds can be brought to justice and punished effectively.
Addressing Crimes in the Metaverse
The investigation into the incident has raised questions about whether or not law enforcement should be using time and limited resources to inquire about metaverse crimes while struggling with a substantial backlog of in-person rape cases, according to the New York Post.
Home Secretary Hames Cleverly defended the trailblazing VR rape investigation, saying that it was easy to dismiss the attack as not being real. However, he noted that the whole point of these virtual environments is that they are incredibly immersive.
Cleverly added that the incident involved a child who has gone through sexual trauma and will experience very significant psychological effects. The official said that care should be taken when being dismissive about the case.
The NPCC estimated that roughly 15% of children aged between five and 10 have used a virtual reality headset and 6% use one of the products every day. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg was a pioneer among tech giants who have bet billions of dollars on attracting people to the virtual realm he called the "metaverse."
The entrepreneur marketed the change to live a digitized, fantasy life. The victim in the recent case was in an online "room" with a large number of fellow users when the virtual sexual assault occurred involving several adult men, said the Daily Mail.
