CDA demands takedown of websites sharing drugging tips and rape videos

The Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party in the Tweede Kamer is demanding that websites offering tips on drugging women and videos of men raping their unconscious partners be taken offline and that the government investigates any Dutch involvement.

CDA lawmaker Armut said the cabinet must determine how many of the sites are hosted on Dutch servers, how many Dutch perpetrators are involved, and whether giving such advice is a crime.

“We need to map out how many of these websites are on Dutch servers, how many Dutch perpetrators there are, and whether giving this advice is punishable,” Armut said.

The party is responding to a CNN investigation into the online world of so-called “sleep content,” which was spurred by the case of French woman Gisèle Pelicot. Pelicot was drugged and raped for nearly 10 years by her husband and dozens of other men in her own home. Her husband used a site containing drugging tips and videos to contact the other men.

That specific site has since been taken offline, but CNN’s reporting shows the phenomenon is continuing. Porn sites offering this content draw 62 million visitors per month. Users share information about the dosages needed to drug a woman and how to check whether she is no longer conscious.

International chat groups and networks of accounts also profit from the so-called “sleep videos.” Armut said the government has a duty to act.

“There is a role for the government to take action against such practices,” she said. She wants the cabinet to investigate whether Dutch perpetrators and victims are involved in these practices. “These men must be brought out of anonymity and, if possible, prosecuted.”