Get it on Google Play

Zoe’s Husband Drugged Her Evening Tea. For Years He Assaulted Her While She Slept

Zoe’s Husband Drugged Her Evening Tea. For Years He Assaulted Her While She Slept

Author: Mamamia Podcasts September 2, 2026 Duration: 1:08:36
True Crime Conversations
True Crime

In 2018 Zoe Watts' family believed her 16-year marriage was ending due to an affair. Struggling with debilitating panic attacks, sleeplessness, and nervous breakdowns, she finally confided in her sister, revealing a far more horrifying reality. Her husband hadn't just splintered their family with infidelity; he confessed to secretly drugging her with their son's sleeping medication and sexually abusing her while she was unconscious.

Years before the world learned the name Gisèle Pelicot, Zoe was forced to navigate the shadowed, rarely discussed reality of spousal drug-facilitated rape. After seeing her husband sentenced to 11 years in prison, Zoe waived her legal anonymity to share her story as part of a global CNN investigation exposing online "rape academies"—hidden communities where thousands of men swap tips for drugging their partners. In this episode of True Crime Conversations, Gemma Bath speaks with Zoe Watts about surviving unimaginable betrayal, standing up against secret online networks, and her crusade to reform the laws that allow this crime to fester in the dark.

Listen to 'Inside The Hidden Network Of Men Drugging And Raping Their Wives' here.

LINKS

We want to hear from you! Take our quick 3-minute survey for your chance to win a $1,000 gift card.

If any of the contents in this episode have caused distress, know that there is help available via Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Contact Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578, 7 days, 24 hours.

GET IN TOUCH

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @truecrimeconversations

Want us to cover a case on the podcast? Email us at truecrime@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note.

MAMAMIA OFFERS:

  • Get access to Very Peri, Mamamia's exclusive perimenopause series, for just $59. 25 world-leading experts, over 20 on-demand sessions, available now. We’ve sorted through the noise so you don't have to. Go to veryperi.com.au today. You hot? Same.

Make sure to leave us a rating and review on Apple & Spotify to let us know how you're liking the episodes. 

CREDITS

Host & Executive Producer: Gemma Bath

Guest: Zoe Watts

Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman

Producer: Ella Maitland

Video Editor: Julian Rosario

Audio Design: Tegan Sadler

Mamamia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we have recorded this podcast.

Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Gemma Bath hosts True Crime Conversations, a podcast from Mamamia Podcasts that delves into infamous criminal cases from Australia and around the world. Rather than just recounting facts, each episode is built around a direct conversation with someone who has a unique, often personal connection to the story. You might hear from a detective who worked the case, a journalist who covered the trial, a family member seeking answers, or a forensic expert who examined the evidence. This approach brings a tangible, human dimension to stories that can sometimes feel distant or sensationalised. The tone is engaging and thoughtful, focusing on the nuances and the people affected, rather than just the shock value. It’s for anyone who appreciates a deeper, more conversational entry into the true crime genre, where the emphasis is on understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ from those who were actually there. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of a serious, yet accessible, discussion about some of the most compelling and complex crimes in recent history.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 50

Official website RSS
instagramyoutubetiktok
True Crime Conversations
Podcast Episodes
What's Next For The Aussie Charged With Murdering A Teen In Thailand? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
It’s late June 2026, and police in Pattaya, Thailand, are retracing the movements of Australian man Simon Carman through hours of CCTV footage. At first, his day appears unremarkable. He eats breakfast, runs errands and…
The 84-Year-Old Mum Kidnapped In The Middle Of The Night [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:26
An 84-year-old grandmother vanishes from her Tucson home in the middle of the night after spending an evening with family, leaving behind chilling doorbell camera footage of a masked, armed intruder. Nancy Guthrie’s disa…
The Overnight Daycare ‘House Of Horror’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:02
For years, parents trusted David Tuck to care for their children at Bluemoor Family Day Care in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast. Decades later, the full extent of his abuse is still emerging, with Tuck now believed t…
UPDATE: The Long Island Serial Killer Finally Learns His Fate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:02
Rex Heuermann, known as the Long Island Serial Killer in the Gilgo Beach murders, has now been sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to the deaths of eight women. Host of the Unraveled podcast,…
A Families’ Fight For Answers After A Death In Paradise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:57
When 40-year-old Australian hotel manager Jason Rigby was found stabbed to death in his luxury Fijian resort apartment, local authorities instantly ruled it a suicide. His devastated Gold Coast family refused to accept t…
The Three Mums Who Teamed Up To Solve Their Children’s Crimes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:35
When three adult children vanish or turn up murdered back-to-back in Bakersfield, California, their heartbroken mothers refuse to wait for answers. Banding together to form a fierce, unstoppable sisterhood, they launch t…
Inside The Hidden Network Of Men Drugging And Raping Their Wives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:27
In 2024, the world learned the name Gisele Pelicot. Between 2011 and 2020, she was drugged and raped in her home in France by her husband, Dominique, and dozens of other men while she was unconscious. In a landmark trial…

«12345»