|
|
|
|
Peterellis.org.nz
Home / Moral Panics / Drug
Rape urban myth Drug-rapes
- Taranaki Hysteria December 2006 |
|
|
Police have found no evidence
date- rape drugs were used to stupefy and violate women in Taranaki late last
year. In December, nine women contacted
Taranaki rape crisis centres alleging that they had been drugged and raped.
The women were aged between 19 and 53. Nationally, 23 women contacted
rape crisis centres believing they had been victims of drug rapes after the
story appeared in the Taranaki Daily News. Three months later, Stratford CIB
Detective Sergeant Darin Haenga said only two women had complained to police.
Neither woman was found to have
drugs in her system. One of the women alleged she was
sexually violated. "That was a possibility
because she believed that she couldn't recall what had happened to her,"
Mr Haenga said. The woman had not been drinking at
a pub but at a private party. The victim knew who the alleged
offender was and police are yet to interview him. "We have established that
there may have been an indecent assault committed," he said. A second woman had complained her
drink was spiked because she could not remember part of the night before. The woman had been drinking at a
local bar with friends and then went to a private address and later returned
to another bar. Blood and urine samples were taken
by her doctor the following day. "They came back negative, as
in there was no trace of any drugs in her system." A hair sample had been taken and
police are waiting on results expected in the next few weeks. The woman was adamant she had not
drunk too much. Mr Haenga said alcohol was a
dangerous drug and people needed to be aware of how much they drank. "It doesn't necessarily mean
you have been drugged if you can't remember the night before." Mr Haenga was not sure why the
other nine women who claimed they had been drugged and raped had not came
forward. "If somebody believes that
they've been drugged and sexually violated, I would expect at least more than
half would come to police, or at least more than what did," he said. Mr Haenga said drink spiking was a
country-wide issue and Stratford did not have a particular problem. Hawera Rape Crisis manager Pam
Bassett said going through the court system was a harrowing process. "I
think that is why rapes are not reported to police." She urged women to talk to police
even if they did not go through the court system. New Plymouth Safer Centre
spokeswoman Lorraine Jans was unavailable for comment. |
