The United Kingdom police are investigating the complaint of a minor for a case of multiple rape that occurred in the metaverse, that is, in a virtual reality video game. Specifically, the space where the attack would have occurred would be in Horizon Worlds, developed by Meta, where a group of adults would have attacked a 16-year-old minor, as reported by the Daily Mail.
To access this virtual world, players are equipped with special glasses, headphones and sensors to experience greater immersion. The young woman reports that her avatar suffered a group attack by a group of strangers who were online at the time.
Although there was no physical contact, investigation sources assure that the minor did suffer a great psychological impact after what happened, similar to that of someone who has been physically attacked. “This young woman experienced psychological trauma similar to that of someone who has been raped. There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that goes beyond any physical injury.”
These sexual attacks in these new spaces “pose a series of challenges for police authorities, given that current legislation is not prepared for it.”
Police believe that technological advances have opened up new avenues for committing crimes. All in all, it is unlikely that current legislation covers rape in the metaverse, since sexual assault is defined in the Sexual Offenses Act as physical sexual contact with another person without their consent.
Donna Jones, president of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, added that regulations should be updated for these cases. “We need to update our laws because they have not kept pace with the risks of harm that are developing from artificial intelligence and crimes on platforms like the Metaverse.”
In this sense, Ian Critchley, of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), warned that “the metaverse has created a gateway for predators to commit horrendous crimes against children, crimes that we know last a lifetime.”
