A first-of-its-kind investigation will be undertaken by British police, concerning Metaverse, a completely virtual world made for socialising and gameplay.

The platform, however, registered an incident that brought out the issues of cyber safety and the lawmaking around the world of virtual reality.

The police have reportedly started an investigation into an alleged gang rape of an avatar of a minor girl, by other avatars in the virtual world.

Since avatars are the virtual representations of the users in Metaverse, the minor did not suffer any physical harm, but the physical trauma might be something similar to what a real-world rape victim may go through, according to investigating authorities.

On the other hand, the authorities reportedly believe that the current laws of the country may not be enough to prosecute the accused, as the definition of sexual assault involves physical touch without consent.

These limitations in the current law may lead to a framework for the processing of the crimes committed in the virtual world.

James Cleverly, UK’s home minister, supported the police probe into the matter. He told a media outlet, “We should not be dismissive about the case since it has not taken place in the real world,” while adding, “We are talking about a minor here who has gone through sexual trauma.”

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