“Spiking” Epidemic: Women Are Left Fearing For Their Lives Amid Nightclub Safety Scandal

Over five different police forces have been met with claims that women have been spiked by needles at nightclubs. A petition calling for compulsory searches at mainstream nightclubs has been signed by more than 100,000 people, with groups from 30 different universities around the UK now making the decision to boycott such venues until serious action is taken. 

The area with the highest number of signatures is reported to be Nottingham - known for its buzzy nightlife with a wide selection of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, attracting millions of students each year. One student who believes she was attacked by injection in a Nottingham club said she felt “vulnerable” and “violated”. The rise of cases being reported has blown up on social media, as more and more victims come forward, revealing the horrifying scale of the attacks. 

Sarah Buckle was on a night out in Nottingham in late September when she fell terribly ill. The University student said, “one moment I was talking fine and then I couldn’t get my words out”. She claimed to remember very little up until the next morning, where she found herself in a hospital bed with a small pin prick on her hand, that later developed severe bruising, before beginning to throb. 

She makes the devastating point: “I’m confused by why this is going on, it’s terrifying. You can cover your drinks but how are you going to stop someone stabbing you?”. 

Police have been under fire recently for the epidemic of violence being perpetuated against women. After the heinous murder of Sarah Everard, followed by the killing of 28-year-old Sabina Nessa just 6-months later – there is an ongoing public debate about how police officers can better facilitate the safety of young women on our streets. 

However, with investigations underway in Glasgow, Exeter, West Yorkshire, and the West Midlands of “something sharp” being used to initiate an attack, as opposed to contaminating a drink – the question of women’s safety has never been more paramount. 

A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham has claimed: “we are working closely with Nottinghamshire Police and the city’s nightlife venues to monitor and learn from incidents and experiences in the city center”. 

Sarah Crew, the temporary Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police has admitted that it’s likely that there is a “sexual motive” surfacing here but has not commented any further on the “indication” for this. 

It is reported that further safety measures such as staff training, and security checks will be implemented to stop these attacks going any further. However, given the extraordinary scale of this ongoing issue – it is likely that more concrete action will be needed to ensure that young women feel safe again, before returning to the nightclub scene anytime soon. 

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