October 30, 2006

AMERICAN TOURIST SLIPPED DATE RAPE DRUG...NARROWLY ESCAPES




Even Bermuda is not immune to this epidemic


(Source)--A warning about the dangers of date rape drugs was issued last night as it emerged that a woman had a narrow escape after her drink was apparently spiked. An American tourist rescued by friends who feared her drink had been laced at a Hamilton city bar.


Despite only drinking half, she was left with no control over her body – and her limbs "felt like lead"


Penny Dill, executive director at the Women's Resource Centre, yesterday urged women to be on their guard and warned – "It could happen again." She added: "Watch your drink, do not accept drinks from people you don't know. Even if you do know them, be extremely careful."


The tourist, in her 20s and now back in the US after visiting friends in Bermuda on vacation, had the lucky escape at about 1.30 a.m. on Saturday.
Ms. Dill said the woman was with friends when she was approached by a man who started off a conversation by asking "inappropriate questions" about her love life.


He offered to buy her a drink and she refused, however, bar staff still poured one.
As the young tourist picked up the drink, she was bumped by another man on the other side of her. Ms Dill said this was believed to be moment when the drug was slipped into the drink.


Luckily, the tourist was with a friend who saw her get bumped then cornered by the two men. After having barely half the drink, her male friend asked if she had taken the drink from the suspect. Fearing it had been spiked, he took it from her and told her not to have any more.



That may have saved her from serious harm.



In a warning email circulated across the Island yesterday, Ms. Dill said that by the time the woman arrived home she had "no control over her muscles".
She added: "She could not walk or move her arms or even hold a phone to her ear. Her limbs felt like lead. "She was lucky because she had friends around to help her." A female friend had to help her to the bathroom, as she was unable to go without help, although the woman did not feel like vomiting.


Some 12 hours after leaving the bar, the tourist went to hospital where a urine sample was taken. Doctors said she had the symptoms of date rape drug Rohypnol and sent the sample away for confirmation. Police were informed, Ms Dill added.



Several suspected drug rape cases have already been reported to the WRC. But Ms. Dill said the weekend incident was the first time (First time my ass!) somebody seems to have seen a drink getting spiked, followed by doctors indicating that a victim had been drugged. "This is the first concrete example," she said. (Why? Because the rest were victims and went home not knowing what happened to them.)



"Other people have suspected. They have had a bit to drink and found themselves waking up in a strange situation and they don't know how they got there.
"Because they can't remember anything they have been reluctant to come forward. They come to us for counselling but can't go to Police because – what can they tell them?"


She said the scale of the date rape drug problem in Bermuda was hard to gauge, with three suspected cases reported so far this year. Ms Dill called on women to watch their drinks and to have "buddy systems" when out with pals. "If your friend is drunk, stay with them," she stated. "Do not let them be taken out of the door by somebody they do not know.



"Women need to look out for each other because somebody might not just be drunk."


Commenting on the incident involving the tourist, Police said last night that specific allegations had been made relating to the reported use of "foreign substances". A spokesman said: "We are investigating a report of a woman who made a specific complaint that a foreign substance was introduced to her. We are in the process of conducting interviews.


"Bermuda Police Service is carrying out a full investigation into the incident surrounding that case." He added: "We want the public to be safe, however, we do not want to create a state of alarm until we have all the facts."


Echoing the safety advice of the resource centre, he said women should travel with a "buddy", never take drinks from strangers and never leave drinks unattended.




No comments: