Police and nightclub owners could be pressed to do more to prevent spiking in Aberdeen – amid reports people are being drugged while out enjoying themselves.
An investigation has been launched into a suspected spiking at a city-centre venue last Friday, with officers suspecting the victim was secretly injected.
Fears over a wave of people being surreptitiously jabbed in nightspots have been shared up and down the country, as well as warnings about drinks being spiked.
Police and venues pressed to do more to tackle new threat of spiking by injection
Now, councillors on Aberdeen’s public protection committee, which scrutinises the work of police, firefighters and social services, will put the issue to authorities.
Members could task officials to contact all nightclubs in the city, pushing bosses to take extra steps to keep their customers safe.
With police investigating similar incidents in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and across the UK, an online petition has been launched calling for legally required “thorough searches” before patrons are allowed entry to nightclubs.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen’s top cop, Chief Superintendent George Macdonald, could be asked to compile an in-depth report on spiking to illustrate the scale of the problem in the Granite City – including the number of reported incidents and how many arrests have been made.
And the police plan to combat the latest spate of incidents could also be probed if councillors vote it through.
Conservative councillor Ryan Houghton, who has pressed for the matter to be discussed as urgent business at next week’s meeting, said: “First of all, we need to acknowledge that spiking is still a problem and that numbers are probably higher than we think.
“The starting point cannot be that young women, or anyone, has to watch their drink because they are going to get spiked. It has to be that we shouldn’t have to and won’t tolerate people spiking their drinks in the first place.
“It does happen though so people need to look out for each other and themselves but the people responsible for it are those doing the spiking and that’s where we need to see strong and visible efforts from the police and venues.
“Whatever venues and police can do to minimise that is welcome – though many do a lot already so this not an attack on them, it is more asking what more can they and we can do.
“Aberdeen has always been viewed as a very safe city, we hold a purple flag, the highest award for city safety. I recognise this issue is causing a lot of concern and we need to see what can be done about it.”
Mr Houghton, the council’s finance convener, also praised the work of the Reclaim These Streets Aberdeen, as well as others raising awareness of the dangers.
The group is calling out Aberdeen’s biggest and most popular nightclubs to publicly commit to protecting women and others from spiking.
Campaigners working across the UK have organised boycotts of nightspots – with everyone encouraged to steer clear of Aberdeen venues, as well as clubs in 12 other cities, on Thursday, October 28.
Girls Night In organisers are urging people – of all identities, despite the name – to stay at home to protest responsibility being placed on individuals to stop themselves becoming victims of spiking – instead of active deterrents from pubs and clubs such as CCTV at alcohol selling points, staff training and body and bag checks on entry.
Police investigating suspected spiking by injection in Aberdeen nightspot
An Aberdeen University student this week said she did not “any memory or recollection of what happened” after “blacking out” last week.
Emma, who did not reveal her last name when speaking to Northsound News, said she had found what she believes was a puncture mark on her skin – sparking fears she was injected with something while out in the city centre.
Doctors reportedly told her she had waited too long to be tested when she attended A&E to find out for certain.
She added: “I just knew something wasn’t right.
“The rest of the day after, I couldn’t get out of my bed, I couldn’t stand up without feeling as if I was going to pass out.”
The student has now started a course of treatment to prevent her developing Hepatitis B – as she fears where else the needle might have been used.
Police are investigating the incident.