Seven women ‘spiked’ on nights out
SEVEN women have reported being “spiked” in the Brighton area in the past week, police have revealed.
Sussex Police said it had initially received two reports from women feeling unwell after nights out in the city early last week.
Then, in the following few days, four more women reported being injected while out in Brighton city centre.
And a woman also contacted police to say she too had been injected on a night out some 25 miles down the coast in Eastbourne on Saturday. The alarming reports follow a number of similar incidents across the country. Spiking involves women being deliberately drugged using a needle. Announcing a probe yesterday, Sussex Police said they were supporting the women involved while carrying out thorough investigations into each incident.
The force added that all viable lines of enquiry were being explored.
In a bid to quell fears in Brighton, which has a large student population, officers said they would be increasing their late-night patrols.The Sussex force’s Chief Constable Jo Shiner recently vowed to make women feel safer, following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met Police officer.
She said: “The crime was horrific and it has eroded the confidence some people have in the police to protect them.
“As a woman and as a police officer, this hurts, and I know it hurts my colleagues who work hard every day to protect people and catch criminals.
“We are going to have to work really hard and really openly with our communities to rebuild that trust.”
Chief Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw, divisional commander for Brighton and
Hove, said: “Everybody has the right to enjoy a night out in safety and we fully understand the concerns around these troubling reports, not only in Sussex but across the country.
“We have recently increased the number of officers making targeted, visible patrols around licensed premises such as restaurants, bars and clubs during the week as well as over the weekend.
“Our licensing teams also work with venues to raise awareness around spiking and regularly hold briefings with security staff prior to opening to make sure measures are in place to keep customers safe.
“We take all reports incredibly seriously and ask anybody who believes they may have been a victim of spiking to let police know.”