A month-long investigation by CNN has uncovered a disturbing global network of online communities where men openly discuss, plan, and share content involving the drugging and sexual assault of women, often their own partners. Published in March and April 2026 as part of its ‘As Equals’ series, the investigation reveals the existence of so-called ‘rape academies’ – hidden digital spaces where abuse is normalised, taught, and, in some cases, monetised.
Across social media platforms, private forums, and encrypted apps like Telegram, members exchange step-by-step methods on how to incapacitate women using sedatives, avoid detection, and film assaults. Victims are frequently wives or girlfriends, targeted within their own homes.
One of the main platforms identified is Motherless.com, which reportedly logged around 62 million visits in February 2026 alone. The site hosts thousands of videos under categories such as ‘sleep’ or ‘passedout,’ where women appear unconscious. In some clips, perpetrators lift victims’ eyelids – a practice referred to as ‘eyecheck’ to demonstrate they are sedated. Several such videos have garnered tens of thousands of views.
Source: Inside ‘rape academies’: Network where men are taught to drug, assault women