Josie Sharp
NATIONAL Police officers in Malaga are awaiting toxicology results for an alleged spiking and sexual assault of a foreign tourist.
The incident took place at a popular city centre nightclub on June 28, when a woman reported being inappropriately touched by a man to police, which triggered emergency protocols.
On her way to hospital, she told paramedics she believed she had been injected with a substance to make her drowsy by the man.
Medical staff examined her and found a puncture mark on her right shoulder that could have been from a needle.
The Policia Nacional’s Family and Women’s Unit is still waiting for results from blood and urine tests taken at the hospital to discover if drugs were involved.
Spiking, the act of adding drugs or alcohol to someone’s food or drink without consent, an also be done out by injecting substances into victims with needles.
The phenomenon of ‘needle spiking’ grew in popularity in the UK before spreading to Spain, where more than one thousand reported incidents occurred in 2021.
A year later, a wave of needle spiking claims were reported to police in Europe. However, out of the 300 pinchazo cases investigated across Spain, the tests revealed that no victims had been injected with any chemical substances.
Despite no chemicals being detected, concerns have been raised about the cleanliness of the needles used, as they could potentially carry serious infections like HIV/AIDS.
Data from Andalusia’s health ministry recorded ten cases of spiking were reported in Málaga, with a total of 96 cases recorded across the region in the same year. The majority of victims were women, with only nine cases reported by men.
Lisa Burgees, 38, runs Costa del Sol Chatter Facebook and is an estate agent in Fuengirola. She says the area is a hotspot for drugging and sexual assaults, but that they go unreported.
She recalled recently, seeing a tourist unconscious on a beach and a man attempting to rob her and take off her clothes. She believes she was spiked with drugs.
Lisa said: “It’s all unreported, I can’t get anybody to come forward. None of the bar owners will come forward, because then they fear their bar is going to be targeted, and now it’s happening to more men.
“In my opinion, it seems to be 30% men, and 70% women are now victims to drugging’s and attempted assaults on the Costa del Sol.”
Although most alleged victims said they felt drowsy, and suffered memory loss, and loss of coordination, police investigations have found no evidence to support these claims, as test results consistently proved negative.
No reports of needle spiking in the UK or Spain have been confirmed by medical reports or police investigations.
Even without confirmed drugging cases, the phenomenon prompted many nightclubs across Europe to introduce more safety measures to protect potential victims.
Lisa said: “I think bars should consider safety as a promotion, advertising themselves as a spike-free bar.”
Scientists have developed cups, straws, and even nail polish that react when they come into contact with a drink laced with drugs.
One preventative tool that has been developed to protect victims is the Sentinel Bracelet created by the Spanish creative agency, Aglaya Creativos, costing only €8.
The bracelet contains a protective film that reacts to the presence of drugs five seconds after a few drops of the suspected liquid are applied to its surface.
Users can then scan the QR code on the bracelet to check whether the results are positive or negative, access emergency information, and find educational resources on how to prevent drink spiking.
In 2022, the Spanish government launched Puntas Violetas in several provinces to combat gender-based violence including sexual assaults, with Málaga opening its 32nd location in the network on June 17.
Regardless of the evidence of substances, the Junta has warned perpetrators that pricking someone with a needle is a still a crime, as it can cause harm and requires medical assistance.
Click here to read more News from The Olive Press.
