18 year-old spiked in Oxford on night out with friends

The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, is speaking out to warn others about the dangers after her "horrible experience". 

The woman had finished work and headed to meet friends at a bar in George Street last month. After having two cocktails, the group left to walk to a nearby club when she noticed she suddenly felt unwell. 

"I was not drunk at all, I was completely sober walking along the street. All of a sudden, I felt really odd like I was going to pass out, so I sat down and felt really strange," she told the Oxford Mail.

“I had my head on my knees, I could not open my eyes or anything. I was vomiting, I kept going in and out of consciousness and was not able to speak with my friends. 
“I was sat there for about an hour literally not able to stand up.”

The victim was eventually able to get into a taxi and make her way home, with friends helping her get into bed.

George Street, Oxford

She said: “When I woke up the next morning I was really, really unwell all of that day. I was throwing up so much and not able to stand up, so the same things.” 

The victim contacted the police after she realised she may have been spiked and is currently awaiting the results of a toxicology report. 

Detective chief inspector James Senior said reports of drink spiking in Oxford remain 'low' but said officers were working hard to educate venues across the city about the signs.  

The NHS describes ‘drink spiking’ as where ‘alcohol or drugs are added to someone's drink without them knowing’. 

A person’s drink may be spiked with the intent of stealing from the victim, assaulting them sexually or physically or as an attempted joke. 

Rohypnol (or Roofie) and Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) are the most commonly known ‘date-rape’ drugs which spike drinks and are used to commit physical and sexual assaults against a victim. The drugs can sedate or incapacitate a victim, making them more vulnerable to attack.

The drugs used to spike drinks can be odourless, colourless and tasteless. They also leave the body within a short amount of time making them hard to detect.

Research by the BBC revealed there were 2,600 reports of drink-spiking incidents in England and Wales between 2015 and 2019, with a majority of incidents effecting women. 

However, many more cases may go unreported due to shame or embarrassment. 

The victim has come forward as she wants to raise awareness about this type of crime in Oxford and how easily someone can be spiked. 

The victim only recently started going on nights out after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in July. 

She told the Oxford Mail: “I was really enjoying going out. Other friends of mine are turning 18 this week and next week, I was going to go out with them and take them out for the first time. 

“I do not want to do that anymore because of what happened. I do not want it to happen to me or happen to them."

She said: "It was just such a horrible experience and even without any assault happening, it was just so, so horrible.” 

Detective Chief Inspector James Senior said: “Reports of drink spiking in Oxford remain low. Officers continue to work alongside management and staff at venues across the city to educate them on the dangers of drink spiking and how to spot the signs of someone who may be vulnerable to enhance customer safety. 

“Thames Valley Police recently hosted a training event for licensed premises in Oxford, in partnership with PubWatch, ahead of a busy trading period to educate them on Project Vigilant and vulnerability. In addition to this, we also chair a regular partnership meeting to discuss any concerns and monitor reports of drink spiking in order to allocate support if needed.