Spiking victims ‘let down’ by emergency services

Two victims of spiking have criticised how medical staff handled their cases, saying they felt “blamed” for what happened and were refused tests.

Imogen Turnbow and Saraya Haddad, both former students in Brighton, said they were denied drug tests at A&E, discouraged from contacting the police by staff there, and Ms Turnbow said a 111 operator implied it was her fault.

South East Coast Ambulance Service, which runs the 111 service in Sussex and Kent, said it was “sorry to hear of these concerns” and it took them “seriously”.

In 2022, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said an A&E’s primary responsibility was to address victim’s medical needs, rather than collect forensic samples.

While in a busy Brighton bar in 2021, Ms Turnbow said she went “incredibly quickly” from being fully aware of her surroundings to waking up in a cupboard.

The 24-year-old said she had “no idea” where she was and had “no feeling” in her leg.

“I am constantly questioning what happened, who was I with, where was I? I don’t have the answers.”

The following morning Ms Turnbow said she visited the Royal Sussex County Hospital A&E department but said she was told by staff there was nothing they could do and that she should call 111.

The non-emergency line then told her they would call back within the next few hours, but did not respond until the next day, according to Ms Turnbow.

Ms Turnbow said she got “quite upset” explaining the incident over the phone to the 111 service, and said the nurse told her she “needed to be more vigilant when going out.”

It was “complete victim blaming,” Ms Turnbow alleged. “I felt very let down by two services which in my head are meant to support you in unsafe situations.

“I didn’t actually know what to do at that point. I was terrified.”

She decided not to report the incident to police.

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We take any concerns raised seriously and would invite Ms Turnbow to contact us with the details of her call so that we can look into the circumstances for her.”

Despite her experience, Ms Turnbow is urging victims of spiking to come forward.

“If we’re not reporting it, it’s just gonna get swept under the rug,” she said.

Stamp Out Spiking, an anti-spiking charity, estimates nearly 98% of victims do not report the crime.

Ms Turnbow said one of the biggest problems is that there is so much stigma around spiking itself.

“Either people don’t believe you” or it is considered “something that just happens”, she explained.

Spiking is not a specific offence, but it is illegal under separate laws.

The government says the main legislation relevant to spiking is Section 24 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which includes maliciously administering poison with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy that person.

It carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

Saraya Haddad told the BBC she was spiked while having three drinks and a meal over three hours at a bar in 2019, shortly before she had been due to perform in a street play in central Brighton.

The 27-year-old said she woke up 13 hours later, not remembering anything, only to learn friends had taken her home.

“I was… very discombobulated,” she said.

Wanting to prove what had happened, she visited A&E at the Royal Sussex Hospital the next morning, but was “shocked” when she said they refused to test her for drugs which could have been used to spike her.

The Metropolitan Police says it may be possible to detect if someone has been spiked in the last seven days through a urine or blood sample. But some drugs leave the body within 12 hours or much sooner.

They say only police can conduct a forensic test, unless a victim has been sexually assaulted, in which case they can be tested at a sexual assault referral centre where they will also get specialist support.

The now-PhD student also claimed hospital staff discouraged her from going to the police, saying it was a “waste of time” due to the time that had elapsed since the incident.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine says emergency departments should encourage victims of spiking to contact the police and, where the victim gives consent, they should help facilitate this.

Ms Haddad said she had decided not to take further action after her experience.

However, she decided to channel the incident into a solo play that aims to raise awareness of spiking, which she performed at Edinburgh Fringe.

There needs to be “much more education” for young people, Ms Haddad said.

She is urging emergency departments to also test for spiking substances.

According to the Metropolitan Police, symptoms of spiking include:

• Confusion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Hallucinations and paranoia
• Disorientation or poor coordination
• Loss of ability to communicate properly
• Memory loss
• Feeling sick or throwing up
• Lowered inhibitions
• Loss of balance
• Unconsciousness
• Problems with vision

More advice about how spiking can make you feel and what to do if you get spiked is available here.

Det Supt Andrew Harbour from Sussex Police said the force took the issue “incredibly seriously” and would “bring offenders to justice”.

Although he said the county had seen a “downward trend” of spiking offences, Mr Harbour said some incidents were not being reported.

Vapes containing the drug spice or other illicit substances, food and even chewing gum could be used for spiking, according to the force.

A spokesperson for the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust said patients were treated based on presenting symptoms.

They said A&E staff could only treat a person if they were ill and there were no screening tests routinely used.

They said that since neither women received treatment at A&E, they would not comment further.