Police Look Into Drink Spiking Claims at Parliament Bar
Authorities are probing a reported drink spiking incident at a bar in Parliament
London, UK, Drink Spiking, Parliament, Metropolitan Police
London: So, there’s been a bit of a stir at the Parliament bar. Police are looking into claims that someone had their drink spiked. It all started when a woman reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police back in early January.
She said it happened in Stranger’s Bar, right in the Palace of Westminster. The police confirmed they got the report about an alleged spiking on January 7 around 6:30 PM. They’re still investigating and are supporting the victim, but no arrests have been made yet.
A spokesperson from Parliament mentioned they’re aware of the situation and that it’s being looked into by the Metropolitan Police. It’s a serious matter, as drink spiking means someone is putting alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink without them knowing. It can even involve injecting someone or adding stuff to food or vapes.
Interestingly, the government is thinking about making drink spiking a specific crime. Right now, it can be charged as assault, but it doesn’t have its own law. There’s been a lot of talk about drinking culture in Westminster, especially since alcohol has been linked to misconduct cases.
In fact, police reported over 6,700 spiking incidents in the year ending April 2023, with a significant number involving needles. Most victims are around 26 years old, and a whopping 74% of them are women. It’s alarming to see that 80% of these incidents happen in public places like bars and nightclubs.