The Truth About Spiking

Channel 4

23 Oct

In a radical and ground-breaking experiment for Channel 4’s UNTOLD documentary strand, reporter Daisy Maskell puts her body on the line to demonstrate the impact of being spiked. With new evidence that spiking is on the rise across the UK, Daisy finds out for herself just how it feels when a powerful drug is added to your drink without your knowledge.

Exclusive research for the investigation found:

Drug spiking incidents reported to the police have gone up 5 fold in the last five years (Freedom of Information responses from 39 Police Forces covering 2018-2022).
In 2022 a spiking incident was reported to the police EVERY HOUR.
As reports to the police have increased, the percentage of those reports that are investigated and lead to a criminal charge has dropped dramatically, from 4% (1 in 25) in 2018, to just 0.23% (1 in 400) last year.
The 2022 charge rate is 13 times lower than the already low charge rate for rape.
UNTOLD analysed almost 700 crime reports from 2023 and found that sexual assault was alleged in just over 10% of cases.
The 39 Police Forces who responded to FOIs said they had received almost 20,000 reports of spiking over the past 5 years. But the Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham told a parliamentary inquiry last year that only about 10% of victims feel confident enough to report spiking.
UNTOLD also contacted Licensing Authorities about their spiking policies. Of the 328 who responded more than 4 out of 5 said they made NO reference to spiking in their licensing policies. And 7 out of 10 said they had never run any form of spiking related communications campaign.

Professor Celia Morgan - an expert in psychedelic drugs at the University of Exeter - spikes Daisy’s drink under laboratory conditions, in order to shine a light on the dangers and effects of spiking drugs. Prof. Morgan issues a limited amount of the drug to use to keep Daisy safe, and ensure no lasting effects. Professor Morgan states in the film: “People out there, have just got complete carelessness for other people’s lives. And they have no idea of what is a dose that will lead to someone's death, or permanent disability. So, that's the thing that I find really deeply upsetting.”

Professor Morgan also reveals very personal reasons why she thinks this experiment is necessary and valuable to raise awareness of the dangers and prevalence of drug spiking.

In Daisy’s own words: “If I can show people what it might look like if you or your friend have been spiked, maybe more people will come forward, maybe more people will be believed, maybe we can prevent people from getting hurt, and find out whether the law is strong enough to stop this.”

Daisy meets victims whose lives have been shattered by becoming a victims of spiking, none of whom have seen their attacker brought to justice. She hears from a police and crime commissioner about how her force is focussing on prevention, as it is so hard to prove the crime with the current laws, and from a barrister who argues there is a powerful case to bring in a new law specifically making spiking illegal – both to help the police prosecute and to act as a specific deterrent.

The Home Office was ordered by Parliament to write a report about the steps it’s taken - or intends to take - to tackle spiking. The report was due in April this year. Six months after the deadline, it has yet to appear.

A Home Office spokesperson told UNTOLD:-

“Spiking is an abhorrent act that is already illegal and anyone who commits this crime faces up to ten years behind bars. … There has been a delay to the publication of the statutory report. We aim to publish this later in the Autumn. …. We have invested [in] initiatives to tackle drink spiking, campaigns to raise awareness, and training for bar staff. … We have rolled out spiking-specific communications and campaign activity at summer music festivals and, currently, at universities across the UK.”

RUNTIME:
28 Minutes

PRODUCER DIRECTOR:
Rosemary Baker

ASSISTANT PRODUCER:
Will Hecker

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Brian Woods

RELEASED:
2023