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Peterellis.org.nz
Home / Moral Panics / Drug
Rape urban myth Drug-rapes
- Taranaki Hysteria December 2006 |
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The Drug Rape Trust has released
information on how people should respond if they suspect they have become a
drink spiking or drug rape victim. The trust said Australian research
showed for every drink spiking, one third of victims were likely to be
assaulted. One third will be looked after by
their friends before anything happens and the other third will be so affected
that they will become "unattractive" to the perpetrator. The trust said British Research
indicated there were in excess of 60 chemicals that could be used to
facilitate drink spiking assisted sexual assault.
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The morning after, the victim may be aware that they have had sex or
have been interfered with but have no recollection of the actual event or
realise that they have been sexually assaulted. ·
The victim may also have signs of physical assault, bruises, cuts, but
have no memory of the assault, or may have flashbacks to it. ·
They may present in a drugged state, be acting odd and have no
recollection of talking to people that morning. ·
If your best mate, girlfriend family member or flatmate arrives home
in a confused state, or with memory loss or signs of abuse, it is up to you
to start asking the questions that they are unable to.
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Go to the doctor. Some drugs used in drink spiking can be deadly or
have dangerous side effects. ·
Report it to the police. Police look for similar patterns of evidence
with date rapes. Even if you have not been assaulted, report the crime. You
could help the pieces fit together and someone convicted of drink spiking can
be charged with disabling (up to 5 years in jail) or aggravated wounding or
injury (up to 14 years jail if convicted). Drug rapists are typically serial
offenders who repeat the same pattern. ·
Keep your clothing and don't have a shower. To not shower may be the
last thing you want to do, but there could be important forensic evidence on
your clothing or traces of bodily fluids or DNA on your body that can be used
to identify a perpetrator. ·
Ask for a doctor trained to do forensic medical examinations. The
organisation Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care trains these doctors and they will
also organise counselling if necessary. ·
Ask about urine and blood tests. Urine and blood need to be collected
quickly, within a four to 72 hour window if possible, allowing for testing of
the more commonly identified chemicals known to be used to spike drinks. ·
Hospital laboratories can test for the presence of many drugs used,
but they are not as complete as those done for the police by ESR. Your local
district health board might pay for the tests, but this varies from area to
area and testing can be expensive. |
