MORE training of hospitality staff is needed to combat spiking in Jersey, a campaigner has said after a young man was the victim of a suspected attack that left him hospitalised last weekend.
Kate Wright, chair of the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, said lack of awareness was another major issue with tackling the crime.
Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat meanwhile has moved to reassure Islanders that spiking reports “are rare” in Jersey, but when they are received she said the States police “take them seriously”.
And Holly Shrimpton, a young Islander who headed an online campaign in 2019 to clamp down on spiking and protect its victims, has issued safety advice after the incident.
The male victim has encouraged staff in bars and clubs to “open their eyes” to the fact that “this is happening” in Jersey.
Writing anonymously on social media on Saturday afternoon, the man said that his Friday night out had gone south when he was offered what was supposedly chewing gum that then caused him to be “violently sick” and light-headed.
Emergency staff attended the scene outside an unnamed club and the Islander said he was taken to hospital and placed on oxygen for the night.
Spiking – the action of putting a drug into someone’s drink, or into their body through another method, without their consent – is currently considered under the offence of to “administer drugs to obtain intercourse” in Jersey.
This was also the case in the UK until Labour unveiled in the King’s Speech earlier this summer their plans to introduce a new law to make spiking a standalone criminal offence.
Senior politicians in the UK have said this step could encourage victims to report the offence – and empower police to investigate and prosecute it.
The Constable of St Martin, Karen Shenton-Stone, said this week that concerns about spiking were the catalyst that led her to securing £200,000 of funding for the Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, and that she wanted to see firmer criminalisation of the offence in Jersey.
Mrs Wright, who led that taskforce, said their research did not have a huge focus on spiking but she had come across it.
She said: “One of the major issues is lack of awareness. Sometimes people may be unsure if they’ve been spiked or they lack confidence that anything will happen if they report it.
“Making spiking a specific offence, as has been proposed in the UK, would help to raise awareness and confidence that spiking will be taken seriously and make it easier to bring charges against perpetrators of spiking.”
She added: “Spiking isn’t just an issue for police to contend with, however. Bars and venues need to be much more aware and I would like to see a lot more training for their staff.”
Holly Shrimpton, who launched the GRL SFTY campaign after her own traumatic experience, said the best way to keep yourself safe from drink spiking is to watch your drink being poured, or by ordering a drink from a bottle – and then drink your drink at the bar, rather than walking around, leaving it open for someone to put something in.
“There has also been reports of tablets being put into straws in the UK which are left on the bar for people to use, so blow through a straw first before putting it in your drink,” she said.
The campaigner continued: “Please do not accept drinks or food from strangers, even if they are purchasing it in front of you. This happens to both men and women, for various intentions.”
If someone exhibits unusual behaviour or shows signs of being unwell, it might be a sign of spiking, explained Ms Shrimpton.
“Stay in groups, communicate about getting home safely, and call an ambulance if you suspect someone has been spiked,” she added.
The JEP asked the Home Affairs Minister for comment via the government press office on Monday. Responding in a statement yesterday, Deputy Le Hegarat said: “I am aware of this most recent investigation by the Jersey police and want to reassure Islanders that reports of spiking are rare in Jersey.
“When such reports are received by the police, they are taken seriously.
“Although the Violence Against Women and Girls taskforce did not identify spiking as a priority issue, and therefore did not make specific recommendations on the subject, it is important to stress that there is existing legislation in place in Jersey to deal with the offence of spiking. Spiking for sexual purposes is illegal under the Sexual Offences Law, with a ten-year penalty.
“Spiking for any reason is a form of assault, and where it is done to facilitate another offence, such as theft, I understand it would be a serious aggravating factor. Where spiking is done with an illegal drug, possession of the drug itself would be an offence.
“If this new UK guidance on spiking highlights any gaps in the law, or suggests reasonable measures which we could adopt locally, then I would be happy to consider them.”
