Spiking: End violence against women

Lynda McEwan

A trend of spiking by injection has hit student nightclubs across Britain in the last few weeks, coinciding with the new university term.

Young women have reported feeling a scratching sensation followed by taking unwell and then having no recollection of the night. 

Across Scotland, in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Stirling, young women have been targeted by this injection method of spiking as well as the spiking of drinks, leaving them terrified of going out for fear of falling victim to sexual assault. 

Socialist Party Scotland spoke to one young women from Edinburgh university who, along with others, is taking part in a nationwide campaign to bring awareness to the situation.

“The first case we heard of spiking was five or six weeks ago but it’s escalated exponentially since then. Reports are coming in of this from universities across the UK.

“There are also fears that if dirty needles being used can also lead to infection as well.”

“Clearly, the opening up of clubs after the pandemic has given an opportunity for some to target women and even some men in this way.”

“The ‘Girls Night In’ campaign are planning mass boycotting of nightclubs. In Edinburgh that’s on Thursday 28 October.

“We’re getting lots of support from women and guys as well who are joining the boycott.

“Measures like increased bag searches and pat downs on entering clubs”, combined with “increased security inside the clubs rather than just outside them are needed”.

Other students we spoke to at Caledonian and Strathclyde Uni’s raised ideas like every one entering a club being offered a drink tester – which would alert if a drink had been spiked. Some clubs do have these but charge £2.50 for them.

Other suggestions included more medically trained staff – not bouncers – to monitor the inside of clubs to assist anyone needing help.

These measures do, of course, come up against club owners’ resistance to employing staff in this way. And the need to pack as many people in to make as much money as possible.

Importantly, there’s a significant link between misogyny and violence against women which thrives within the capitalist system we live under and this rise in spiking incidents.  

Police Scotland have issued a statement saying a probe into the allegations has been launched but believe that the incidents are not linked.

However that begs the question why the attacks seem to be happening as widely as they are follow a pattern and appear coordinated in nature.

Sarah Everard

These events follows closely on the heels of a loss of trust in the police due to the horrific killing of Sarah Everard earlier in the year by an off duty officer using Covid restrictions to kidnap, rape and murder the 33-year-old. And the subsequent heavy handed treatment the police used on women who came out in their hundreds to attend a peaceful vigil on Clapham Common.

Women were also outraged by the unhelpful and absurd suggestions made by the Metropolitan Police that if they are afraid of being approached by a loan policeman they should wave down a bus, run into a house, shout out to a passerby or dial 999, giving no real solutions to the widespread sexist problem the murder uncovered within the police force itself. 

There has to be a recognition that systemic violence against women, worsened by the pandemic, and more than a decade of budget cuts to women’s services, play a role in this increased spate of spikes in nightclubs.

Unite Hospitality currently has an important campaign calling for an end to sexual harassment and gender-based violence in an industry which is predominantly made up of women workers often in low paid, zero hours contracts.

This should now be taken up by more trade unions, including the student unions who should organise protests on the issue linked to broader issues such as equal pay, affordable childcare, violence against women, decent affordable housing and investment into women’s services.

Protests would also help give women the solidarity and confidence to organise and fight back against this terrifying threat for their safety.