Drink spiking incidents need better investigations

26-Apr-2022 - Last updated on 26-Apr-2022 at 08:20 GMT

Home Affairs Committee report: incidents of drink spiking require better investigations (Credit: Getty/PeopleImages)

Incidents of drink spiking require better investigations and new strategies to reduce the number of occurrences, according to a report published today (Tuesday 26 April) by the Home Affairs Committee.

The report follows calls from the NTIA in October 2021 for an inquiry into drink spiking, following a surge of incidents in September 2021, with a lack of readily available data cited as having made it difficult to get a clear picture into the true extent of occurrences.

NTIA CEO Michael Kill said: “I thank the Home Affairs Committee for their important work on this spiking inquiry, which has produced a series of recommendations the Home Office must now get on with delivering so we can collectively tackle these abhorrent crimes within society.

Key recommendations essential

“The report’s key recommendations will be essential in reducing spiking and ensuring everyone can enjoy a night out free from the fear of being the victim of a crime.

“We are also encouraged to see the Home Office move to review the categorisation of the drug GHB."

This comes after a December 2021 poll, conducted by the committee, found one in nine women and one in 17 men in the UK stated they had been a victim of the act, while one in three women and one in five men knew someone who had been a victim of drink spiking.

One way in which the NTIA suggested drink spiking could be tackled was the hiring of more door staff.

Kill added: "One thing we have consistently emphasised is the role the shortage of door staff is playing in the crisis.

Ready to work

“We would be grateful for more engagement from the Home Office on door staff recruitment, in particular the recruitment of more women, who currently make up only 10% of staff, which we believe would help with some of the problems highlighted by the Committee.”

The NTIA also said it agreed with the report in stating the Home Office should change the law to include a specific offence for spiking as well as supporting calls for police to provide those who have reported spiking with forensic testing, after the Committee commented some victims felt dismissed by venue staff.

Kill said: “We note the Committee’s comments about some victims feeling they have been treated dismissively by venue staff, we are clear this is wrong and stand ready to work with the Government on improving people’s experience when they are reporting these crimes.”