today unveiled that his
government would impose a tough new spiking offence to “stem the
scourge of dangerous crimes being perpetrated against women and
girls, by making sure we have robust modern laws to crack down on
modern forms of violence.”
Appearing on This Morning, the Labour Leader was
speaking with presenters Phil and Hollyabout Labour’s mission to
halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
As Director of Public Prosecutions, upgraded guidance to
prosecutors in cases of domestic abuse, to give victims more
rights and support. He has previously spokenmovingly of
working with John and Penny Clough, whose daughter was murdered
by her ex-partner, and of the need for the justice system to have
victims at its core.
On his commitment to introduce a new offence of spiking,
said:
“I saw first-hand as Director of Public Prosecutions that victims
are let down when the law doesn’t keep up with evolving crime. My
government will recognise the reality of dangerous new crimes
being perpetrated against, more often than not, young women, and
we will act.
“The rise of spiking sends terror through the heart of every
parent with a daughter; and leaves young women feeling
vulnerable. Women should not have to live in fear that when they
go out, their drink may be spiked, or that they may be injected
with a harmful substance. It is a pernicious, dangerous, and
hateful crime, and Labour will punish it as such.
“As a society we can’t ever be complacent about new ways that
people are being hurt, abused and threatened. Whether it’s new
forms of violence online, such as cyberflashing or revenge porn,
or the terrifying emergence of spiking in pubs and clubs, we need
to get in front of any sense that there is a way around the law.
“No loopholes, no excuses, no hiding behind a computer screen.
With Labour, those who abuse women, verbally, physically,
virtually, will feel the full force of the justice system.”
Spiking is currently covered by several different offences but
there is no single dedicated offence for police to use to catch
dangerous perpetrators. The number of reported spiking
incidents is on the rise, with a notable increase in the number
of ‘needle spiking’, which is injecting someone with drugs
without their consent.
Nearly 5,000 cases of needle and drink spiking incidents were
reported to police in England and Wales in the 12 months to
September 2022.
The Home Affairs Select Committee has recommended the creation of
a separate criminal offence for spiking. However, that
recommendation has been rejected by the government, arguing it
was ‘unnecessary’. A spiking offence is supported by
campaigners, police officers and the Association of Police and
Crime Commissioners.
The next Labour government will also explore anonymous reporting
systems for victims of spiking. Research suggests just 3% of
spiking victims report to the police, making it a significantly
under-reported crime.
Anonymous reporting would allow victims to report without shame
or fear, but also allow police to identify spiking hotspots and
flood resources to deal with perpetrators.
Dawn Dines, CEO and Founder of Stamp Out Spiking
adds:
”I fully support the need to update or change the law to clearly
show that the horrific act of Spiking is a recognised criminal
offence. This will provide protection and hopefully some justice
for past victims, but most importantly it will safeguard the
public against the actions of the perpetrators.
“We have been actively campaigning for this for the last two
decades, listening to the stories of victims and fighting on
their behalf. At the Westminster Hall debate on 11 January 2023
there was full cross-party support for the laws to be
updated. The government has published no timeline or plan of
action as to how they will protect the victims of this crime and
ensure justice following this debate.
“We eagerly welcome Labour’s commitment to ensure that this
crime, which is all but invisible in crime statistics due to
under-reporting, is appropriately identified in law
and prosecuted.”
Ends
Notes:
· Research from
Stamp Out Spiking regarding under-reporting of spiking -https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42322/html/#:~:text=Our%20research%20suggests%20only%203,proportion%20of%20the%20actual%20total.
· Information on
the number of spiking incidents can be found here - Potential victims of spiking
urged to report to police and get tested quickly as nearly 5,000
reports of spiking are made within a year (npcc.police.uk)
· Government
response on calls for the creation of a new offence can be found
here -Government will not create
specific spiking offence, minister says | Evening Standard
