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Peterellis.org.nz
Home / Moral Panics / Drug
Rape urban myth Drug-rapes
- Taranaki Hysteria December 2006 |
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A growing number of teenage girls
are getting drunk or being drugged and waking up the next day unable to
remember if they were sexually abused, police say. Police are dealing with up to
seven teenagers a month alleging sexual assaults by older men but who
struggle to remember what took place. Christchurch doctors have joined
police to warn younger women to be careful when drinking or partying at local
bars. Detective Sergeant Wendy Riach, of
the Christchurch police, said they were investigating more cases of young
women alleging sexual assault after a night out -- about 100 per cent up in
the past two years. Police were worried about teenage
girls getting into dangerous situations, and wanted them to be careful. Riach said in a recent case a
young woman went out with friends and woke up naked the next morning in a strange
house. Police did not lay charges against
the man involved, and it was difficult to do so in many cases. If a woman's drink was spiked with
drugs -- there were many which could be used -- the woman had to be tested
quickly to detect the substance. Riach said in another case, a
local 16-year-old went drinking, took what she thought was party pills, and
ended up the next day in Nelson and Blenheim, with little memory of what had
taken place. "These girls are getting
themselves in situations which aren't good. They are basically good kids,
experimenting. "A lot are drinking
themselves into a stupor, and then they don't know what is happening." The advent of party pills had
added to the problem. Riach said many young women went
into city bars with friends, but somehow got separated and then, either
because they were intoxicated or naive, put too much trust in strangers. "We need people to take more
care, look after their friends, and put them in a taxi home if there is a
problem." Riach said investigating alleged
sexual assault claims could be harrowing for the women and required a lot of
police resources. Dr Linda Gray, of the Cambridge
Clinic, which tests and treats rape victims for police, said that last
December and January it dealt with 25 rape cases, 15 of these were women aged
12 to 25. Alcohol and drugs were involved in
half these cases. The clinic did not see all rape
victims as some went to accident and emergency, while others used their GP. Gray said the clinic recently saw one
young woman who woke up naked in a local park unable to remember anything. "We are not saying this is
the victim's fault, or taking responsibility away from the perpetrator, but
drinking predisposes them (young women) to making bad decisions." Gray said it was important people
did not leave their drinks unattended or accept alcohol or pills from
strangers. "There has to be some
parental responsibility for the fact there are 14-year-olds on the streets
after midnight. They can't drink because they can't handle it and they can't
make good judgments because they are 14," she said. Dr Pippa MacKay, who performs
abortions at Lyndhurst Hospital, said: "There is no doubt that some of
the girls tell us that they got drunk one night and they don't know who they
are pregnant to. "Figures at Lyndhurst on
abortions for young women appear to be rising for whatever reason." Meanwhile, Christchurch police
plan to crack down on drunken behaviour and irresponsible bars. Inspector Gary Knowles, of the
Christchurch police, said police would be visiting bars -- covertly if
necessary -- across Canterbury to ensure they are adhering to licensing rules
and not serving drunks or underage patrons. Most bars operated well, but
police wanted to "stop kids drinking so much and becoming victims".
Too many teenagers were going into
the city already drunk, with their parents' knowledge. They then caused
problems for bars and police, Knowles said. Recent central city events, such
as Christmas in the Park, had caused major headaches for police because of
drunk teenagers. Knowles asked parents to keep
track of their children. |
