UK police investigate the first virtual rape case in the metaverse; to understand

For the first time in history, British police launched an investigation into the virtual rape case. According to preliminary information, a child was surrounded and attacked in Meta’s virtual reality (VR) game Horizon Worlds.

The case was announced last Monday (01). daily mail. According to the website, the victim, who was under the age of 16, wore virtual reality glasses and explained how the situation occurred. He was in the same room with people he knew. A group of men surrounded him and attacked him in the game.

Details are being guarded because the story involves a minor. According to a police source who spoke to daily mailThe girl was quite shaken by this experience.

“This boy experienced Psychological trauma similar to that of someone who has been physically raped. The source argued that there was an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that lasted longer than any physical injury.

Another police officer consulted by the British medium reported: No cases of sexual violence have been investigated in metadata so far. Other reports have already been reported, such as the case of a virtual sword stolen from a user.

Special law for crimes in virtual reality

The story of rape of minors in the metadata sparked a debate among authorities in the United Kingdom. On one side People who argue that there are not enough people in the virtual world to investigate these cases.

According to daily mailThis movement argues that prosecutors and police should be concerned about the many sexual crimes committed in the real world.

People such as Ian Critchley, Leader of the Child Protection Investigation Branch at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, dispute this view. According to that, metadata string opens “a door for abusers to commit horrific crimes against children”.

Donna Jones, president of the Association of Police Commissioners, stated: daily mail Women and children need protection from cybercrime.

“We need to update our laws as they fail to keep up with the risks evolving with platforms such as artificial intelligence and metaverse,” he said.

Other side

In a note sent daily mailspokesperson Meta stated that the company does not accept malicious acts. “The type of behavior described has no place on our platform and that is why we have an automatic protection for all users, the so-called personal limit, which keeps people you do not know a few meters away from you,” he informed.