Police investigating “virtual rape” after girl ‘attacked’ in metaverse

British police are investigating what’s being called a “virtual rape” after a 16-year-old girl was ‘attacked’ by several men in a virtual reality space.

The 16-year-old victim wasn’t physically harmed in the attack, which took place in VR — but is reportedly mentally shaken after experiencing the incident.

The child was wearing a headset during the confrontation, during which her avatar was “attacked” by several men in a virtual “room,” as per reports from The Standard.

While she wasn’t physically injured, police say that the victim experienced trauma similar to that of people who have been sexually assaulted.

Unsplash.com: Jessica Lewis

“Virtual rape” investigated by police after 16-year-old ‘attacked’ in VR

“This child experienced psychological trauma similar to that of someone who has been physically raped,” a senior officer said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

“There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer term than any physical injuries. It poses a number of challenges for law enforcement given current legislation is not set up for this.”

While most details about the case are being kept under wraps to protect the underage victim, this marks the very first time a ‘virtual sexual offense’ is being investigated by UK police.

A spokesperson from Meta gave a statement about the situation, saying to the Mail, “[This] kind of behavior described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you don’t know a few feet away from you.”

Ian Critchley, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Child Protection and Abuse Investigation Lead, gave a warning about the Metaverse to the Mail, saying it “creates a gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children.”

He added, “As such, our policing approach must continually evolve to enable us to relentlessly pursue predators and safeguard victims across all online spaces.”