Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault
(WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: The readers are advised to apply their common sense after reading this article and behave responsibly. However, I am not responsible if someone picks a tip from the article and uses it with criminal intentions. Care has been taken to keep some portions and the names of the drugs ambiguous, to prevent such things as far as possible. Remember- these drugs in overdose and when mixed with different drinks often invite FATAL results)
Picture it. You wake up. You're naked. You have a pounding headache, aching muscles, and you can't remember anything from last night. One minute you and some friends are getting a ride to a party, the next you're waking up here, on a stranger's bed in a room you've never even seen before.
You search around in the dark for a minute or so, and piece-by-piece you find the clothes you were wearing last night. You quickly pull on your underwear and jeans, and are about to throw on your top when you notice something's wrong. There's a long tear stretching down from the neckline of your shirt. For a minute, you just sit there in confusion - what the heck happened last night?
Then, a spark fires in your brain. You remember something from the night before that makes your skin crawl, and in a single instant, your life is changed forever. You're not sure, but you think you've been raped.
This is drug-facilitated sexual assault, and no one's really sure how often it happens.
Often known as "drug rape" or "date rape", drug-facilitated sexual assault is when someone uses the fact that you've taken or been given alcohol or drugs to sexually assault you.
This sexual assault can be anything from unwanted kissing or touching to full-blown rape. Obviously, rape is worse than an unwanted kiss or touch, but all sexual assaults are serious crimes.
Someone could also slip a "date-rape" drug into your drink that will make you completely out of it and an easy target. These drugs can also make you pass out or erase parts of your memory, so you might wake up the next day and never know what's happened to you.
Other times, someone may take advantage of a person who's had too much to drink or took drugs willingly - a girl who is passed out at a party, for example.
The Hard Facts
Drug-facilitated sexual assault is a terrible crime
Sex is an intimate act; sexual assault is not. It's about power, fear and control. A victim could be beaten, injured or even killed during a sexual assault, and if they drink alcohol spiked with a "date-rape" drug, they could overdose and possibly die. Even when physical violence or drugging isn't involved, sexual assault can emotionally scar you, and you may not feel safe again for a long time.
Sexual assault victims are never responsible
It's sad, but a lot of sexual assault victims blame themselves for what happened. They feel ashamed or think they were "asking for it" by drinking too much or dressing and acting a certain way. The truth is, the way you dress or act is never "asking" for anything, and the only way to "ask for sex" is by actually asking for sex.
The most common "date-rape" drug is not Rohypnol® - it's alcohol
When most people think of drug-facilitated sexual assault, they tend to think of "date-rape" drugs like Rohypnol® (roofies) being slipped into a girl's drink when she's not looking. This does happen, but for now at least, it's probably pretty rare in India. It's a good idea to remember that, more often, victims of sexual assault are just drinking alcohol, and are sexually assaulted after they pass out or are too drunk to resist.
Drug -facilitated sexual assault may happen a lot more often than we think
Most sexual assaults are never reported to police , never solved or never proven. There are a lot of reasons why people don't report the crime to police. A lot of the drugs used in drug-facilitated sexual assault, including alcohol, can erase or blur parts of your memory, and you may never know for sure if you were assaulted. Some may also be afraid that the police won't believe them, or feel that it was partly their fault. Still others may just want to put the whole thing behind them.
Most drug-facilitated sexual assaults are committed by a person the victim knows or trusts - not by strangers
Many of these crimes are not planned in advance. For example, a guy may take advantage of a girl at a party who is drunk or on drugs because he sees her as an "easy target". For this reason, it's pretty common for a person to know the one who assaulted them. A lot of times, sexual assault is committed by a friend or someone you know, by a date or a boyfriend/girlfriend, and sometimes even by a spouse or family member. About 75% of all rapes are committed by a date or acquaintance.
Women are almost always the victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault, and female teenagers and young women are at the most risk
Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault. It doesn't matter whether you're a guy or a girl, or what your sexual orientation is. However, the vast majority of victims are women, and women between the ages of 16 and 24 are about four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in other age groups.
Other stats and facts about drug-facilitated sexual assault:
- About 25% of women report that drugs were a factor in a rape Most of these crimes either go unrecognized, unreported, unsolved, or unproven
- Some of the drugs used to facilitate sexual assault or rape can be fatal when mixed with alcohol
- "Date-rape" drugs are also commonly used recreationally, putting the user at risk of sexual assault
- Adolescent females (16-19 years) and young adult women (20-24 years) are 4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in other age groups
- Most sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance or date
- It is estimated that approximately 75% of all rapes are date or acquaintance rapes
- The most frequently detected drug in victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault is alcohol. The second most common is marijuana
Drugs and Sexual Assault
There are lots of drugs that people use to make a person an easy target for sexual assault. These drugs may produce different effects, but most of them share a few things in common:
They make a victim really "out of it":
These drugs will make you pretty helpless. You might get drowsy and weak, all of your muscles may relax, and you may even pass out completely. You may just be too "out of it" to stop someone from sexually assaulting you. One of these drugs, Ketamine, can even put you in a strong "trance-like" state, in which you'll stay awake, but you'll be almost completely unaware of the people and things going on around you.
They cause memory loss:
Most of these drugs, including alcohol, can wipe out several hours of your memory and make it very difficult for you to remember if you were assaulted. Even if you do remember having sex with someone, your memory may be too fuzzy to remember if you said "yes" or "no", so you may be unsure if you should report it. (Remember, the law says that in some cases you can be "too intoxicated" to consent to sex.)
They are difficult to test for:
Many of the "date-rape" drugs will pass through your body very quickly, and are very difficult to test for. So it's really important to report a sexual assault as soon as possible - the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to find proof of the drugging.
They produce effects similar to alcohol's effects:
If you're slipped one of these "date-rape" drugs, you may just look and act "really drunk". Some of the drugs also may just make you feel really, really drunk. So if you're drinking with friends, they may not realize that anything's wrong with you - in fact, you may not even realize that anything's wrong with you. Some of these drugs also have after-effects that feel just like a hangover (including memory loss), so when you wake up the next day you may not recognize that you were drugged at all.
The Drugs
- Alcohol
Most drug-facilitated sexual assaults involve alcohol. An offender may take advantage of a woman who has had too much to drink and is too drunk to resist or consent, or after she has passed out completely. Also, alcohol can add to the effects of other drugs, making a person even more vulnerable. Legally, a woman can be "too drunk" to give her consent, and it doesn't matter if the man who sexually assaults her is also drunk.
- ********
********, commonly known as "Roofies", is the brand name of a drug called flunitrazepam. Though it is illegal in India, Canada and the U.S., and other parts of the world, it is still prescribed in Mexico to people with sleeping disorders. It is very powerful, and will make a victim very drowsy. If dissolved in a drink, ********* is odourless and tasteless but may colour the liquid blue or murky because of a special new dye. The effects last about 8 hours and will make you feel like you are very drunk and very tired. It can also blur a victim's memory for hours after it is taken. When mixed with alcohol, ********* can cause death.
- GHB
GHB (also called "G" or "Liquid X") is usually a colourless liquid - it looks just like water - and can easily be poured into a drink. It will cause a spiked drink to have a slightly soapy or bitter taste. It is very dangerous; it can cause unconsciousness, seizures and even death. Overdoses are very common, particularly when it is mixed with alcohol. The effect of GHB is very similar to the effect of a lot of alcohol, and like Rohypnol®, GHB can blur a victim's memory for several hours.
- Ketamine
Ketamine (also called "K" or "Special K") is still used legally by veterinarians and Anesthetics when performing surgery on animals and Human biengs. It is a very powerful anaesthetic, which means it will dull pain and make a person feel "numb" or pass out. It can also cause a "trance-like" state - sometimes called a "k-hole" - in which a victim may have no idea what is going on around them. Ketamine will cause victims to lose sense of time, and it may also blur their memory. Unlike GHB and ********, someone slipped Ketamine will probably not be mistaken for someone who is just "really drunk". Ketamine also tastes really bad, and is easier to notice when mixed in a drink. Ketamine can cause hallucinations, a deep hypnotic state and "out of body"-like experiences.
- Cannabis - Marijuana, Hash, Hash oil
The effects of marijuana and hash are very different from the above drugs, but Cannabis is still the second most common drug found in drug-facilitated sexual assault victims. This is most likely because marijuana and hash are used much more often than other "date-rape" drugs. Still, it highlights an important point: people are at a higher risk of being sexually assaulted whenever they are intoxicated. Smoking marijuana or hash will also add to the effect of alcohol, making a person an easier target for sexual assault.
- The Rest
Drugs make people act in ways that they normally wouldn't, and many drugs can facilitate a sexual assault even if they don't have "date-rape" effects like memory loss. On almost any drug, you're more likely to wind up in an uncomfortable situation, signals are more likely to get crossed, and you may not pick up on the warning signs of a rape or sexually assault. Or you may just have consensual, regrettable sex with someone you otherwise wouldn't. Some drugs may also make people more likely to commit sexual assault too (among other crimes). The "rave" drug Crystal Meth (speed) has been associated with a lot of high-risk sexual activity, and other drugs like PCP are very unpredictable, and have been known to make people go completely berserk.
Safety Tips
No matter what, sexual assault is never a victim's fault. And it's not a person's responsibility to "prevent" themselves from being assaulted. The only person responsible for a sexual assault is the person who commits it. But the following tips can help you have a safe and fun time when at a party, bar or just hanging out with friends.
If you're drinking alcohol, keep an eye on yourself and your friends. If you're worried about getting into an uncomfortable situation with someone, tell your friends how you feel and ask them to watch out for you. And if at any time you feel so drunk that you might pass out, consider where you are and the people you're with. It might be a good idea to get a ride home with a trusted and sober friend or call a taxi. If that's not an option and you have to sleep around others (such as at someone's house after a party, a hotel room, etc.), ask people you trust to keep an eye on you if you pass out.
Watch for signs that your drink has been spiked - it tastes or looks weird; or you're feeling really giddy, drowsy or just "way too drunk". Remember, these drugs take effect very quickly and you should get help immediately. If you are not planning on drinking alcohol, remember that a soda or any other non-alcoholic drink can also be spiked.
Some drug-facilitated sexual assaults might start out harmlessly enough as flirting. If you are interested in someone, you may want to think about how far you'd like to go with them beforehand, and make it clear when you've gone farther than you'd like to. Flirting with someone is not an invitation for sex, nor do you "owe" them something if you do. Remember, you always have the right to change your mind about how you feel about someone.
Other safety tips:
- Limit how much alcohol you drink and remember that not everyone has the same tolerance threshold.
- Be wary of opened beverages offered by strangers or acquaintances, and open bottles yourself or observe the bartender doing so.
- Avoid drinking from punch bowls – you don’t know what’s been added.
- If your opened beverage looks, smells or tastes strange don’t drink it.
- Watch your drink – if you leave it unattended to go dancing or to the washroom, consider buying a new one.
- If you feel giddy or light headed, really drowsy or “too drunk”, get assistance from a friend. If a stranger offers to help escort you from the bar, club or party, they may want to take advantage of you.
- If you arrived with friends, check on each other before you split up later.
- If you think you or one of your friends has been drugged, get help.
- Use a buddy system: you keep an eye out on your friends and they keep an eye out on you.
- Have a designated driver who can leave a party or bar with you at any time.
If It Happens to You
The first step in dealing with drug-facilitated sexual assault is simply recognizing that it's happened.
If you wake up with no memory or a blurred memory, there are a few signs that might help you tell if you've been assaulted.
- You were not drinking alcohol or using drugs
- Your muscles are sore
- You have bruises or other signs of sexual assault
- You have been undressed, or your clothes are ripped, missing or stained
If you're sure or seriously suspect that you have been drugged and sexually assaulted, you should see a doctor right away:
- You may want to see a doctor or pharmacist for emergency contraception (the "morning-after" Pill) to prevent pregnancy.
- You may want to get tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections or pregnancy. There are also ways for a doctor to reduce the risk of getting an STI if you have been raped.
- You may want to ask about speaking with a counselor of psychologist.
Doctors don't always have to report a sexual assault, but they will if you're young or they feel you're still in danger. Often, you won't have to press charges if you don't want to.
You may want to report the assault to police. This is a tough and personal decision that you have to make on your own. But if you are going to report the assault, it is best to do it soon, while there is still evidence. If you believe that you've been drugged, blood and urine samples can be taken to test for these drugs in your system, but the sooner these tests are done the better.
The police will have to be involved to have this testing performed, but often the decision to press charges will remain in your hands. Often you can make this decision later, so if you are at all considering pressing charges it's important to have samples collected as soon as possible.
You should call the police who will arrange for you to see a doctor right away . The doctor can then provide a medico-legal exam which involves collecting samples that may show proof of sexual assault. To help preserve evidence you should:
I KNOW YOU ARE MY VALENTINE
I MISS YOU
Dreams
The "DATE -RAPE"