Police urge more reports of drink spiking in Wiltshire
They say it's an under reported crime
Wiltshire Police are urging victims of spiking in the county to report it to them, saying it's an under reported crime.
In the last 12 months, 72 reports of spiking in Wiltshire have been made.
The Force has also been busting some myths around spiking.
They say:
- Not all offences lead to sexual assault or rape
- Spiking is most likely to involve alcohol or drugs such as cocaine and ketamine
- Perpetrators can be friends, colleagues, or acquaintances of the victim, and are not always strangers.
- Spiking victims have not always had ‘too much to drink’, and in some cases they may have been spiked with more alcohol and have unwillingly consumed more than they think.
But spiking happens regardless of whether the victim had willingly had a few drinks or took illegal drugs on a night out – or none at all. The victim is never to blame.
- You will not get in trouble if you report spiking and have knowingly consumed illegal drugs. Unless you’re driving, having illegal drugs in your system is not an offence and should not put someone off from reporting.
What if my drink is spiked?
The constabulary has also issued advice on what to do if we suspect our drink has been spiked.
DI Troy Smith said:
"Make yourself safe, get somebody that you know you can trust and get yourself to a place of safety and get yourself medically treated.
"Spiking can be incredibly traumatic. Think about the after effects of that, make sure you can get yourself some help and support and make sure you're medically safe and then call the police."
We can report a spiking incident via 101 or 999. Police say they want to know about every possible spiking offence in order investigate it, even if no other crime has taken place.
We're also told that we can report spiking incidents to staff in clubs or bars, who will be able to help you.