Some pornography sites host videos appearing to show drugged or unconscious women being sexually assaulted.
In May 2026, one of them – which the BBC is not naming – was taken offline after an investigation by CNN.
However, BBC West Investigations has found other sites hosting similar material. In June, one was found to have more than 900 videos tagged with the word “sleep”.
Emeritus Professor Marianne Hester from Bristol University, who researches gender-based violence, said the internet had made it easier for perpetrators.
“I think it provides a lot more ideas about what to get up to,” she says.
She wants websites sharing videos of apparent drug rape to be shut down and is calling for police to recognise what she calls “chemical control” – a term she helped coin – as a distinct offence.
“That’s a really big, new area that we need to think about. It’s about identification. If we don’t start naming things, we don’t look for them.”
Krystyna hopes that by sharing her story she might help others.
“If you have feelings like I had and you doubt yourself – don’t. Look after yourself otherwise it could be fatal,” she added.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, help and support is available at BBC Action Line.
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