The Home Affairs Committee has launched a new inquiry to
understand better the prevalence of spiking and the effectiveness
of the police response to it.
Spiking has traditionally been the term for when alcohol or drugs
are put into someone’s drink without their knowledge or consent.
In 2021, reports emerged of a new form of spiking that involved
individuals being injected in some way without their consent.
A recent poll found that 1 in 9 women and 1 in 17 men in the UK
say they have been the victim of drink spiking, and one in three
women and one in five men knew someone who had been a victim of
drink spiking. Due to the nature of the crime victims may not
know what has happened or who did something to them, and may
suffer self-doubt about what occurred.
The inquiry will aim to get a better understanding of the
prevalence of spiking, the forms it takes and the impact it has
had on victims. It will also look at the response of the police
and partner organisations, such as night-time industries,
universities and third sector organisations, in the prevention
and detection of spiking. The Committee will also examine what
support is available to victims to report incidents and obtain
treatment following incidents.
Chair's comment
Launching the inquiry, Acting Chair of the Home Affairs Committee
said:
“Spiking is a particularly pernicious act. It is specifically
intended to make victims vulnerable and leave them unaware of
what is happening to them. It relies on deception, with victims
only realising what has happened later and left doubting
themselves due to the uncertainty that being spiked causes.
“At present, the prevalence of spiking is poorly understood. That
is why as part of this inquiry we have launched a survey to hear
directly from victims about what happened to them and how they
were supported. We also want to hear from those who have
witnessed spiking incidents and have experience in supporting
victims so we can understand their perspectives.
“We want to understand what more can be done to stamp this out,
but also how victims can be better supported in reporting these
incidents and dealing with the long-term consequences on them. We
also want to see how police can work with partners in the
entertainment sector and other areas to identify more effectively
when such incidents take place.”
Public survey
As part of the inquiry, the Committee has launched a public
survey to give individuals who have experienced or witnessed
spiking the opportunity to explain what happened and what support
was provided following the incident.
Members of the public can take part in the online
survey here. The deadline for
responses is 11.59pm on Wednesday 5 January.
Call for evidence
Find out more about submitting
evidence
The Home Affairs Committee welcomes written submissions on the
following questions. The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on
Wednesday 19 January 2022.
The prevalence of spiking
- How common is spiking?
- Where and when does it happen?
- Who is vulnerable to spiking?
- Who commits spiking offences and why do they do it?
How spiking should be prevented and addressed
- How effective is partnership working between the police and
others (such as local authorities, the health service, night-time
industries, universities and third sector organisations) in
safeguarding potential and actual victims of spiking?
- How effective are the measures used to prevent spiking,
including the advice and guidance that is used to train, educate
and support those involved in handling this type of crime (such
as police officers, nightclub security staff and A&E staff)?
- What barriers do victims face in reporting spiking incidents
and obtaining treatment and support?
- Are the police doing enough to identify perpetrators and
bring them to justice?
- What role should Government play in tackling this crime?
If your evidence raises any safeguarding concerns about you, or
other people, then the Committee has a duty to raise these with
the appropriate safeguarding authority.
If you have immediate safeguarding concerns about yourself or
someone else, you should contact the Police on 999.
We can’t publish submissions that mention ongoing legal cases –
contact us if you are not sure what this means for you.
