A number of forces across the country are investigating reports of home spiking done with injections, a police organization official said. Police in Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire have both received reports of spiking with injections.
Officers in Scotland are also reportedly investigating the alleged incidents. Women are currently scared to go out clubbing as police are now investigating these reports of spiking.
Sarah Buckle, who is studying at the University of Nottingham was on a night out in Nottingham on 28 September when she suddenly became very ill. She describes how one minute she was fine, and the next she couldn’t’ remain standing, and couldn’t get her words out. She concluded that these side-effects could not possibly be solely from drinking.
Sarah said,
“To be in hospital for 10 hours, and to have no recollection of anything for that long is absolutely crazy. I’m confused by why this is going on, it’s terrifying. You can cover your drinks but how are you going to stop someone stabbing you?”
The effects of spiking in drinks is also lethal. A mother has warned drink spiking danger after recently posting a video of daughter, Millie Taplin who was 18 years old when she was spiked in an Essex nightclub. Millie can be seen with her jaw locked and fingers bent into claws. Millie has spoken out about her traumatic experience:
“I’ve never felt like that in my whole life. I couldn’t walk…they had to get a wheelchair for me. It was like I was trying to move my legs but they weren’t moving.”
Millie has since recovered from the night but her and her family have been mentally destroyed by the incident, with her mother sharing her thoughts on how the experience will probably forever affect her the most, as she now feels anxious every time Millie leaves the house.
Police said a 20-year-old man was arrested after one woman reported a scratching sensation and suspected her drink had been spiked at a club in Nottingham city center. He was later released on bail. Another student at Pryzm nightclub found a pinprick mark on her leg, and had a sharp, agonizing pain in her leg.
Supt Kathyrn Craner of Nottingham police has said combined with the reports of drink spikes:
“A small number of victims have said that they have felt a scratching sensation as if someone may have spiked them physically. We are actively investigating these reports.”
This is distressing to hear, given the added risks of infection and injury from needles.
Nightclub boycotts are planned across UK cities next week as students have called for tighter security in nightclubs amid reports of women being attacked with needles. For many young women, the mystery around who spiked them remains unsolved.
The campaign group Girls Night In has called for people to boycott local bars and nightclubs to put pressure on venues to do more to prevent spiking. Here are a list of places that boycotts are happening and the dates they are taking place across the UK:
Preventative measures the groups want to implement include lids for drinks, and first aid and drug misuse training for staff.
A petition calling for clubs to be legally required to search guests for spiking paraphernalia on entry has now collected more than 100,000 signatures.
There must be a significant change in monitoring safety for young woman and everyone entering nightclubs as this has created a different level of fear for woman across the UK. These new measures may require a bit of money, and more staffing but it is an essential young woman can feel more comfortable with friends in nightclubs.
For more information on issues surrounding woman’s safety and health, check out Texas’ ongoing battle with abortion.
