How common are 'date rape' drug attacks?

Wednesday 30 January 2019

One woman was recently taken to hospital with dangerously high blood pressure after an apparent drink spiking in Guernsey which left her vomiting and unconscious.

Reports of 'drug date rape' attempts tripled in the UK between 2015-2018 but there are no such statistics available locally. Instead social media has increasingly become the place for victims to place their warnings, including by the most recent alleged victim in Guernsey.

In 2004 'date rape' gained a lot of media attention as the 'new and disturbing' threat became more widely reported nationwide. This involves the act of 'spiking'; drugs or alcohol slipped into another person's food, drink or - as reported at the time - cigarettes. 

The illegal drug commonly detected in instances of spiking are Rohypnol or GHB but it was said at the time to be unclear in the UK whether their use increased instances of rape compared to victims who were affected by alcohol alone. 

Today, with young people reportedly drinking and smoking less in the UK, it is perhaps surprising that reports of 'date rape' related incidents to regional police forces tripled between 2015-2018 (source: Sky News FOI request). 

Guernsey Police were said to be 'monitoring' reports in 2005, after its last drink spiking campaign. In the UK drink spiking is illegal carrying a potential prison sentence. The misuse of any prohibited drugs is illegal in Guernsey. 

Pictured: Guernsey Police campaign from 2005.

Mother of two Steff Robilliard, 32, said her drink was spiked last weekend. She took to social media on Monday night to warn other potential victims and to relay her own experience before going to Guernsey Police. That post had been shared 400 times by yesterday, with hundreds of likes and comments on the post she wrote to help raise awareness. However she does not want to name any particular bar publicly before more information is known. 

"I was in Town with my family and friends for a night out. I’d only had a few glasses of wine and felt fine. We went into one pub just before 23:00 and from there I couldn’t remember anything until I woke in Accident & Emergency at 02:00."

Pictured: Steff Robilliard who has spoken out about having her drink spiked (picture not taken on the night in question). 

"My family said the bar staff thought it was another drunk person, but one minute I was fine and the next I was being sick and unconscious on the floor. I had wondered off on my own when thankfully a family member found me. Turned out my drink had been spiked," she said. 

When at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital Mrs Robilliard was treated for high blood pressure and vomiting before being released to go home. 

"The next day it was strange I didn't feel hungover I just felt sick. I decided to post on Facebook to raise awareness, I've had private messages as well from people who say they have experienced something similar. I will speak to the police as well. In a way I was hoping the police might have been more involved already as they were there when the ambulance picked me up. 

"I have no idea what whoever did this wanted to get out of it, the scary thing is I was with my family, my husband, when it happened. What if I was a young girl on my own? It just made me so angry, I would say to those people that my kids could have woken up without a Mum yesterday morning," she said.

Watch: An apparent attempt at using a 'date rape' drug caught on camera. 

Comments of support on the public post included: "I thought this sort of thing had stopped, as it happened to me about 20 years ago, I reacted the same as you," and "That's nasty, great to hear you're ok. I'm convinced that I had a drink spiked about 15 years ago, I was not being myself that night. I go to Town rarely now but used to go all the time before then, because of that night my social life and social circle changed." 

St John Ambulance confirmed that a woman was taken to hospital on Saturday evening at around 23:00 after a 999 call to a patient in a public place and included the advice below. 

Express approached Guernsey Police for comment and are awaiting a response.