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The Peter Ellis web
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There has been alarming news in
the last couple of days, Brian Robinson notes. One News
reported the Taranaki "Safer" Centre saying that seven women
reported being drugged and raped in the region last weekend. Newstalk
ZB reported a "spate of drug rapes" and said "a New
Plymouth rape crisis centre is warning young women to beware". The Taranaki Daily News reported that
seven women "tell of drug rape horror" and that there has been an
"apparent spate of drug-induced sex attacks." Stuff
reported "A string of drug rape incidents surfaced in Taranaki over the
weekend". The reports were indeed
horrifying. They had the desired effect. The Taranaki Daily News reported that "Young New Plymouth women
are shocked and frightened for their safety in bars" The reports got worse. Safer Centre
Lorraine Jans speculated and was faithfully reported saying that "It was
possible the seven [women] were only the tip of the iceberg" and then
"It was possible a gang of men could be behind the attacks." Thanks to the police, the Taranaki Daily News has provided a
little balance. We have been told only
one of the alleged victims has complained to police. Detective Senior
Sergeant Grant Coward said that while the Hawera CIB is currently
investigating an alleged rape from last weekend, it is too early to say if it
was drug rape. In other words there is
a possibility
that there may have been a drug rape. The news media should consider
some deeper investigation into what appears to be yet another scare story
from Lorraine Jans of the Safer Centre.
A good place to start would be Spiked
OnLine http://tinyurl.com/y7mx2o for an analysis from Josie Appleton. Appleton's article
"Drink-spiking: a morality tale for our times" predates the New
Zealand drug rape hysteria of the last couple of days. Appleton reminds us that
"Drink-spiking awareness campaigns have become an established part of
the pre-Christmas period. Its normally around early December that police
forces, student unions and campaign organisations start to warn revellers
about the poisons that others could be slipping into their festive
drinks" The article covers the
transformation of drug rape "from urban myth to official fact" and
concludes with excellent advice "We will certainly have to stay vigilant
about dodgy awareness-raising campaigns this Christmas." Our news media could well heed that
advice.
ENDS |
