Spiking is a cowardly, vile CRIME!
Two victims of spiking have criticised how medical staff handled their cases, saying they felt “blamed” for what happened and were refused tests.
Imogen Turnbow and Saraya Haddad, both former students in Brighton, said they were denied drug tests at A&E, discouraged from contacting the police by staff there, and Ms Turnbow said a 111 operator implied it was her fault.
South East Coast Ambulance Service, which runs the 111 service in Sussex and Kent, said it was “sorry to hear of these concerns” and it took them “seriously”.
In 2022, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said, external an A&E’s primary responsibility was to address victim’s medical needs, rather than collect forensic samples.While in a busy Brighton bar in 2021, Ms Turnbow said she went “incredibly quickly” from being fully aware of her surroundings to waking up in a cupboard.
The 24-year-old said she had “no idea” where she was and had “no feeling” in her leg.
“I am constantly questioning what happened, who was I with, where was I? I don’t have the answers.”
The following morning Ms Turnbow said she visited the Royal Sussex County Hospital A&E department but said she was told by staff there was nothing they could do and that she should call 111.
The non-emergency line then told her they would call back within the next few hours, but did not respond until the next day, according to Ms Turnbow.
Ms Turnbow said she got “quite upset” explaining the incident over the phone to the 111 service, and said the nurse told her she “needed to be more vigilant when going out.”
It was “complete victim blaming,” Ms Turnbow alleged. “I felt very let down by two services which in my head are meant to support you in unsafe situations.
“I didn’t actually know what to do at that point. I was terrified.”
She decided not to report the incident to police.
A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We take any concerns raised seriously and would invite Ms Turnbow to contact us with the details of her call so that we can look into the circumstances for her.”
Despite her experience, Ms Turnbow is urging victims of spiking to come forward.
“If we’re not reporting it, it’s just gonna get swept under the rug,” she said.
Stamp Out Spiking, an anti-spiking charity, estimates that nearly 98% of victims do not report the crime.
Ms Turnbow said one of the biggest problems is that there is so much stigma around spiking itself.
“Either people don’t believe you” or it is considered “something that just happens”, she explained.
Spiking is not a specific offence, but it is illegal under separate laws.
The government says the main legislation relevant to spiking is Section 24 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which includes maliciously administering poison with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy that person.
It carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.
Spiking is a cowardly, vile CRIME! And The File actively supports Stamp Out Spiking and Dawn Dines.
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