"I just had to live with it" - Nine out of ten drink spikings aren't reported to the Police

A range of surveys that have spoken to spiking victims consistently reveal a common thread.

Very few people ever report being a victim of spiking to the Police.

This summer, we're looking at why spiking has become such a common experience for people up and down the country, and what can be done to stop offenders targeting people in social or home environments.

Today we're hearing Kate's story

Kate shares her spiking story

Kate was 18 when she was spiked.

She was living in Nottingham at the time and was on a night out when it happened.

READ: Victims tell us what it's really like to be spiked

She told our investigation: "We had pre-drinks at ours, and then as soon as we got into the club it was two-for-one, and I had one in each hand.

"I couldn't remember anything that happened after that point."

"I just woke up the following day really confused as to where I was and what was going on. I found out from other people what had happened, I had to be filled in on my own night.

Very few spikings ever reported

Kate said she never expected to be targeted by drink spikers and, like many victims, didn't report the incident.

Surveys carried out on victims show anywhere between 86% to 98% don't report they've been spiked to the Police.

Kate said: "I was actually quite traumatised and I thought it would be an isolated incident. I wanted to keep it to myself because I didn't want to replay it.

"At that point, I decided to live with it in myself, then as the years went on it was getting worse and worse and people I knew, my friends, were getting spiked. I thought it was a one-time thing - but it wasn't."

"I know countless women who've suffered this kind of thing who won't take it any further because they don't want to have to deal with the questions 'Were you doing this?' 'Were you doing that?'

"It just feels like the blame game."

Why do people not report being spiked?

Kate and her friends are not alone - a survey of spiking victims found a range of reasons people didn't speak out:

• They didn't believe the Police would do anything about it
• They didn't know where to report it
• They thought it was too late to report it
• They were embarrassed

Kate told us victims need to have more opportunities to speak out, knowing they'll be believed: "You're going to have people saying 'You should have done this' or 'You should have done that', but at the end of the day someone's story is someone's story.

"That's what happened to them, you can say what you like but you can't change the facts.

"This is what happened, it wasn't their fault, and they suffered as a result."

Police urge spiking victims to speak out

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “I know from talking to victims of spiking how utterly terrifying it can be.

“Police forces have increased action against spiking with uniformed and covert operations in bars and clubs, working alongside venues to prevent and investigate spiking.

“Spiking is a complex and challenging offence to investigate. Drugs pass through the system quickly and there is often limited evidence to identify offenders, which means it’s not easy to get these cases to court.

“In order to have the best chance of identifying drugs and bringing offenders to justice, our message to anyone who thinks they have been spiked is to report early and be tested by the police.

“Don’t let the fact that you might have knowingly taken illegal drugs, stop you from reporting. It’s really important that if you do think you have been spiked, and you have taken drugs, that you let the officer know so that they have the full picture.”

What should I do if I think I’ve been spiked?

Here's the advice provided by Police about what action you should take if you've been spiked:

"Call 999 or 101 to report it to the police. We need to know about every possible spiking so we can investigate, even if no other crime has taken place. If you are out in a bar or club, you can report to a member of staff, who will be able to help and support you.

"If you are injured or have symptoms you are worried about after being spiked, call NHS 111.

"If you think you’ve been sexually assaulted, you can go to your nearest sexual assault referral centre (SARC) for specialist care and support. At a SARC you can receive a medical or forensic examination (whether or not you decide to report to the police).

"If you’ve been affected by crime and you need confidential support or information, you can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.

"If police feel it’s appropriate, they will take a non-invasive urine sample. Some drugs leave the body in a very short time (within 12 hours), so it’s important to test as soon as possible. Other drugs remain in the body longer, so testing will be considered up to seven days after the incident. The test the police use is the most effective way of finding out whether you have been spiked.

"If you are tested in a hospital or by your GP, you will need to also have a police test, as this is what can be used as evidence to support charges or convictions.

"If you tell the police how much you have drunk and whether you have voluntarily taken drugs, we will be able to provide a more accurate result. It is not a crime to have illegal drugs in your system (unless you are driving), so please don’t let this stop you reporting spiking.

"The test results will come back in three weeks and will be discussed with you."

Signposting services

If you've got questions about spiking or want to know more

Find out what the Police say about it, in terms of signs and symptoms and getting support

Check out the I've Been Spiked Instagram feed

Get advice from DrinkAware

And there's more on the Rape Crisis website if you'd like to explore it there