Lincolnshire Police explain lack of charges over drink spiking

Identifying the victims of spiking and bringing charges can be challenging, Lincolnshire Police have said.

There has been a decline in reports of drink spiking at the start of this university year compared to the rise in 2021.

Police were contacted 21 times in September and October, down from 37 in the same period last year.

The University of Lincoln also say they have seen a decline in reports amongst students, and no cases have been reported on campus.

However, none of the cases have led to criminal charges.

Lincolnshire Police Superintendent Phil Baker said there is a narrow time frame to test for drugs in a victim’s system, and people may also have been spiked with alcohol instead.

He urged anyone who thinks they have been a victim to contact police as soon as possible.

“Everyone should be able to go on a night out without fear of being spiked. Every report of suspected spiking will be taken seriously and fully investigated and that will include testing of blood and urine where appropriate,” he said.

‘Date rape’ drugs such as GHB and Rohypnol are the most common form of spiking | Photo: Stock

“We often investigate and find that there are no drugs in the system of the person reporting, although it’s still possible they have been spiked with alcohol.

“In other cases people report the incident days later meaning any substances may have already left their system. Therefore establishing if someone has been spiked can be challenging.

“We would encourage anyone who suspects they have been spiked to come forwards as soon as possible, so we can make sure samples can be taken within the timeframe.

“We will continue to work with the night time economy and encourage them take every opportunity to keep their customers safe.”

A Freedom of Information request revealed there were 37 reported cases in October 2021.

By contrast, there were 11 in September 2022 and 10 the following month.

A spokesperson for the University of Lincoln said: “We have seen a decline in cases of spiking off campus generally and we are pleased that no cases have been reported from university campus venues.

“We continue to promote student safety across the city, our services remain available as we know students have been reassured specifically by the testing we offer.”

Student information on staying safe on a night out can be found here.

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