‘Frustration at misconception that spiking is not an issue’
Many islanders say they want to see laws outlawing drink-spiking modernised.
Almost every respondent to a poll run by local charity SafetyNet said that they would like to see laws updated.
The UK Home Office announced on Monday that drink-spiking laws would be modernised to include training door staff to stop potential perpetrators, and signs that someone has been spiked.
Ninety-nine per cent of people said that they would like Guernsey to follow the UK’s lead, and just 1% said they would need more information to make a decision.
‘I was not at all surprised that the respondents to our poll want to see Guernsey follow suit in modernising spiking laws,’ said SafetyNet chairwoman Poppy Murray.
‘We know from talking to the public over the last two years that there is a lot of anecdotal evidence of spiking, and a clear frustration at the misconception that this offence does not happen locally.
‘Unfortunately the complexities of the current Guernsey law will, undoubtedly, be playing a role in the fact that there is a 0% conviction rate for spiking locally.’
In the five-year period up to November 2023, Guernsey Police received 90 reports of drink spiking, but have had no convictions.
During the same period in the UK, spiking offences increased five-fold, but prosecution rates fell from one in 25 in 2018, to one in 400 in 2022.
‘Although there are no confirmed cases of spiking locally, I have met with Guernsey Police and discussed some of the reasons for this, which include some substances only being traceable for a short period of time, and a lack of education on what the public should do if they suspect they have been spiked,’ said Miss Murray.
‘SafetyNet has been approached with the argument that because there are no proven cases in Guernsey, spiking has never happened here.
‘There are two prevailing views on the reason for Guernsey’s 0% conviction rate – either spiking is difficult to prove, or Guernsey is, for some reason, exempt from a crime that is committed globally. In my view, it is much more likely that spiking is difficult to prove.’
SafetyNet is working with local venues to help make nights out safe for everyone, including the supply of StopTopps and DrinkSeals drink covers to prevent drink spiking.
