Cherilyn Mackrory MP has welcomed the Government’s crackdown against drinks spiking.
A raft of new measures have been unveiled by the Home Secretary, James Cleverly in anticipation of increased socialising and parties across the festive season.
These include a refinement to existing legislation and includes better access to self-testing kits, more training for door staff, and better education for young people into the dangers of spiking. There will also be a coordinated approach by police to tackle spiking during critical weeks of the year, such as the festive season - an approach which has proven successful previously against other crimes such as knife crime.
The government are taking additional steps to clarify spiking under the Criminal Justice Bill. Spiking is a crime, and the law will be worded to provide an unequivocal definition of what it is, the support which will be offered to victims, and the 10-year sentence it carries.
The anti-spiking crackdown is one way in which the government are prioritising protecting women and girls against violence and abuse, utilising the £12 million unveiled by the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Autumn Statement to tackle domestic violence, including £2 million to help victims leave abusive relationships and to rebuild their lives.
Further to this, the government will set out practical measures to improve understanding of crimes and to deliver better support for victims. These include:
- training hundreds more door staff to spot potential perpetrators and signs patrons have been victimised.
- investing in research into spiking testing kits to help venues and police detect if someone’s drink has been spiked in real-time.
- intensive operations run by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to tackle spiking during key weeks across the 43 police forces in England and Wales
- an online spiking tool to be rolled out to all police forces to make it easier to anonymously report it if people fear they have been a victim of the crime.
- updated statutory guidance to include spiking (s182 Licensing Act 2003)
- a spiking guidance/advice toolkit for the public that contains a range of resources and signposting for anyone who is looking for information on spiking, what it is, who is affected, how to report it, how to support victims, and which criminal offences can be used to prosecute it
- supporting the higher education regulator, the Office for Students, as they take action to make sure universities and other higher education institutions to prevent and address sexual misconduct – this will follow its consultation on the issue, expected to report back in early 2024.
Cherilyn said:
“Spiking is a crime, plain and simple. The new steps we are taking will help to protect victims, particularly women and girls, and will make sure that those who carry out this hideous act are punished appropriately.
“I support these steps, which will give more people the confidence to report spiking and to get the justice they deserve and will help to make sure that in future more of us can go and enjoy a night out in safety.”
Home Secretary, James Cleverly said:
“Tackling violence against women and girls is a personal priority for me and this government has shown time and again that we will do what is necessary to keep the public safe.
“Spiking is a perverse crime which can have a lasting impact on victims. Our comprehensive new measures are designed to help police and staff in bars, restaurants, pubs and other premises to protect victims and bring more offenders to justice.”
Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, Laura Farris said:
“Spiking is an insidious and predatory act which is already illegal under existing laws.
“We are amending legislation to make the offence explicit and capture the modern-day nature of the threat.
“Taken alongside new measures to improve the way the police respond to incidents, and better equipping venue staff to identify, respond and protect their customers, we are sending a clear message that perpetrators of this crime should expect to be caught and face justice.”