INVESTIGATION INTO ANOTHER SPIKING BY INJECTION AT CITY NIGHTCLUB
It’s the latest report of women being targeted in clubs
POLICE are investigating reports of alleged spiking by injection in a Glasgow nightclub. The Glasgow Times understands the incident being investigated, in the early hours of yesterday morning, took place in a venue in the city centre.
It is also understood several young women attended an accident and emergency department in the city to be checked out after at least one believed she had been the victim of an attempted spiking.
It is the latest report of women being targeted in clubs.
A Glasgow MSP raised the issue of spiking with the Justice Secretary, Keith Brown.
Pauline McNeill, Labour MSP, said she has asked Police Scotland for details on how widespread the crime is. The Glasgow Times contacted the police about a potential incident in the city yesterday.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received reports of alleged spiking by injection in Glasgow on October 28. Officers are carrying out enquiries but so far no criminality has been established.”
In Holyrood McNeill spelled out the dangers it exposed women to.
McNeill said: “Drink spiking puts victims in a situation in which they are vulnerable to being sexually assaulted, raped, robbed or accidentally injuring themselves.”
She highlighted the Girls Night In campaign where nightclubs are being boycotted.
The MSP said: “A spokesperson for the Girls Night In campaign has said that ‘spiking has become an epidemic’.”
She added: “They went on to say ‘never before have we heard of so many students waking up with no memory of what had happened the night before’.”
McNeill added: It is important to work in collaboration with the Night Time Industries Association to find a way forward, including use of testing strips and anything else that will give women confidence and keep them safe.”
She added it was “unfortunately, part of a broader picture of increasing prevalence of violence against women, which we as a society need to tackle with some urgency”.
Brown said: “I believe that the act of spiking is absolutely despicable and that such harmful behaviours cannot be tolerated in our society. Anyone who is found to have spiked a person can be arrested, under a range of existing criminal laws, and can be prosecuted.
“Such decisions in individual cases are made independent of the Scottish Government by Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Police Scotland is pursuing every single report of spiking.”
The Justice Secretary said he was chairing a round table event with partners across the night time sector to work out how best to tackle the issue.
He added: “A gold command on the issue, led by an assistant chief constable, has been established and is reaching out to universities, licensed premises, Public Health
Scotland and victim support organisations.
“Police Scotland has also established connections with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that spiking cases are brought to the police’s attention.”
Meanwhile, last night Strathclyde University’s students’ union closed its doors at 7pm to show its support for the student-led Big Night In Glasgow campaign.
The campaign has gained a huge following and the support of local businesses following the shocking reports of spiking by injection across Scotland, including in Glasgow city centre.
The Big Night In encourages the public to boycott clubs for one night to raise awareness and to call on night time industry bosses to take urgent action in implementing stricter safety measures.
Nesha Malone, the Strathclyde union vice president, said: “As a student bar in Glasgow, we are 100% focused on student safety.
“We are now looking at further measures that can increase safety and we believe other bars should do the same. We want everyone to be safe in all Glasgow bars and clubs so that they can enjoy a night out without fear of attack.”