Alcohol
Drink spiking
Cases of drink 'spiking' are on the increase nationally and, in Staffordshire, this is has been addressed in part through the Spike the Hedgehog campaign.
This initiative urges people to:
- never leave a drink unattended
- when going to the bar or toilet, leave a drink with a friend you can trust
- be wary of accepting drinks from strangers
- look out for friends when out and about in clubs and bars
- pace yourself and don't drink too much, too quickly.
Sadly, the consequences of people not following these pieces of advice can be severe. The following is the story of a 28-year-old Staffordshire woman who suffered a horrific ordeal after her drink was spiked. Details have been changed to protect the identity of the victim.
Karen's ordeal started on a warm Saturday evening, when she and a group of female friends went into a Staffordshire town centre for a night out.
"I'd gone into town on the train and met up with my friends at about 9pm. It was the usual evening out - we were just working our way down the high street, having a glass of wine or a half of lager in each club or wine bar.
"We got to the nightclub at about 11pm, and the four of us just sat round, chatting about everyday stuff and watching people come in and out."
Then, as the evening wore on, Karen accepted a drink from a man she had never met before. What Karen did not know, was that the drink bought for her had had a sedative added to it.
As she stood at the bar drinking, the drug was already affecting her, and when her friends told her they were going, she said she would stay, even though she had no money for a taxi.
"I don't really remember seeing my friend talking to me, but I did hear her voice. I felt a bit out of it, dazed. I had a numb feeling in my head, almost oblivious, like I knew things but didn't.
"I can remember dancing on a stage by the dance floor and he was standing nearby holding my drink. I was dancing for about ten minutes before I want back to him and he handed me the bottle back. I finished what drink I had left and we walked back towards the bar.
"I felt unconscious but awake, I remember being led from the club and looking back at the doors and vaguely seeing four bouncers standing on the pavement outside." Karen was led outside and taken towards a large car that had two other men in it. She was driven off and raped by the man who had spiked her drink.
"I was feeling completely useless, I couldn't move and everything was fuzzy. I can't really remember much detail, just some things that happened in no particular order - I was feeling in a complete daze."
She was dumped outside a friend's house and eventually got home the next day, distraught by her ordeal. A blood test subsequently revealed she had quantities of benzodiazepines (prescription drugs used to sedate and relieve anxiety) in her system.
She reported her assault to police and following an investigation a man was charged and found guilty of rape. He was sentenced to six years in prison.