"I’d only had two drinks and somehow ended up in a complete state": Bedfordshire woman warns of spiking dangers
Two women from Bedfordshire have shared their personal experiences of being spiked, as a national awareness week kicks off.
They’ve both bravely come forward to share their stories as Spiking Awareness Week begins today (Monday) which is hoped will encourage people across Bedfordshire to report such offences.
“I felt that no-one believed me”
One woman said: “I don’t have much recollection of what happened. I was taken to the hospital, and the nurse told me all my symptoms indicated that I had been spiked with a date rape drug.
“This has affected me in many ways. I reported this initially to the venue, but they did not take this seriously and so I decided not to take it further as I felt that no-one believed me. However, now I do wish I reported this further to prevent it from happening to someone else.”
“Somehow I ended up in a complete state”
Another woman, who had her drink spiked when enjoying a night out with some work colleagues, shared her experience of waking up the following day confused with no recollection of what had happened.
She said: “I just know that I’d only had two drinks and somehow ended up in a complete state. I realised I must have been spiked but because I didn’t have any actual evidence and didn’t want to waste police time, I didn’t report it. Plus, I thought it was too late.
“I'd like to say I'm always very aware of my surroundings and always knew the risks of spiking, never to leave a drink unattended etc, but it still happened to me, and I have no idea how.”
Week of action
The week of action coincides with the beginning of Freshers’ Week, when thousands of students return to or start university.
Officers from Bedfordshire Police will be continuing their work launched under Project Vigilant last month, which focuses on targeting perpetrator behaviours in pubs, bars and clubs, which are often displayed before an offence takes place.
Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team will also be attending Fresher’s Fairs across the county to talk to students and hand out spiking test kits.
Detective Inspector Victoria Willett, from RASSO, said: “Reports of spiking remain low in Bedfordshire, however we recognise that this could be because victims don’t always report it to us.
“We encourage anyone who believes they’ve been a victim of spiking to report it to us. You will be taken seriously, and we will investigate thoroughly. Your safety is our priority."