POLICE investigating claims of spiking by injection in Scotland have found no forensic evidence to support any allegations, according to reports.
Detectives across the country witnessed a surge in alleged spiking cases last autumn – with Police Scotland receiving dozens of complaints from people who said they had been spiked by injection. It came following an initial story in October of a 19-year-old girl in Nottingham who said she was “spiked by a needle” on a night out.
Students started sharing their experiences on social media, sparking a ‘Girls Night In’ boycott of nightclubs and bars.
Many report “blacking out” before waking up with puncture marks, however The Times reports that a senior detective within the force said forensic examination revealed no substances linked to drink spiking over the last few months.
Detective Chief Superintendent Laura McLuckie told the Scottish Police Authority: “I’m pleased to say that we’re not seeing any drugs within people’s systems that we would class as being a drug that would be used in spiking.
“There is clearly alcohol involved. There is clearly recreational drug use involved.
“However, we don’t have any identified cases of any spiking by injection in Scotland at this time.”
The Times reports that between January and October last year, Police Scotland received 51 complains of alleged spiking by injection. There were 69 reports of drink spiking and 32 where the method was unclear. While most of those claiming to be targeted were women, 22 men also came forward with reports.
Gary Ritchie, assistant chief constable at Police Scotland, said: “Every report is and will be taken seriously and fully investigated, and that will include a full forensic investigation when appropriate.”
Katy MacLeod from the Scottish Drugs Forum said: “It is important to highlight that one of the effects of traumatic incidents on the brain is that they can impair our ability to file memories, which can bring in significant challenges for people reporting and gathering evidence.
“It is fairly common that people report incidents a number of days or longer afterwards, which would make detection of substances challenging given some substances are out of the system within 24 hours.”
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