We had our hostel for fifteen years and, during that time, several of our female guests fell victim to spiked drinks. I can think of five cases but there could have been more. The so-called rape-drug was used on each occasion.
I'm not talking about an aphrodisiac. The girls weren't plied with drinks to break down their inhibitions and make them feel sexy. They were given a drug that rendered them senseless. Worse still, they were so confused that it was impossible for them to work out exactly what had happened. All they knew was that they had been violated and could only guess who had done it. To avoid such a thing happening to you remember the three golden rules:
* Don't accept drinks from people you can't trust.
* Don't leave your glass unattended.
* Avoid getting drunk.
And remember that you can be handed a spiked drink anywhere ... not just in bars. I know one young lady who fell victim to spiking at the office party of a leading international company. The incident occurred in Sydney but could have happened anywhere. Her drink was spiked by colleagues. They were out to humiliate her and succeeded. The problem was to discover exactly what had happened and gather proof. There was a lot of circumstantial evidence but nothing that couldn't be denied. The case would make a good background plot for a novel. Maybe I'll have a go at it one day.
This brings me back to the point I made earlier. Victims are always befuddled. So, if you suspect someone is the victim of a spiked drink, take care of them and make sure the police are called. Bar staff are often reluctant to do this so you may have to do it yourself. Insist on a full medical examination and do your best to see that blood and urine samples are taken before any drugs are discharged from the body.
Girls are particularly vulnerable but guys are not immune. Shortly before we sold our hostel there was a strange incident that took several days to unravel. I was woken in the early hours of the morning by yelling and screaming from one of the private rooms. I pulled on a pair of shorts and went to see what was happening.
As I left my house, three figures emerged from the main hostel building and ran into the street. I figured they were part of the disturbance but had no time to investigate. The yelling was still going on and something had to be done about it.
I entered the hostel and was pleased to see my friend Sean in the corridor. He worked as a geologist's assistant and stayed with us when on leave. Sean was outside one of the rooms and a torrent of foul language was coming from inside. We banged on the door and told them to "Open Up". When nothing happened, I unlocked the door and threw it open.
We were confronted by a woman I recognised as a local prostitute. She pushed past us and fled, leaving a fully-dressed young man on the bed. He was making a heap of noise and appeared to be hopelessly drunk. We did our best to calm him but without success. In the end I called the police and the guy was taken away.
I thought that was the end of the matter but it wasn't. The next day the young man reappeared claiming I had robbed him of hundreds of dollars. He was in a hysterical state and I had no doubt he believed what he was saying. Inevitably, the police were called again.
Days passed and the young man's mother became involved. With her help, we were able to piece together what had happened. It seems her son was a shy lad who had just finished work on a farming property out west. He arrived in town with his pockets bulging with money and went into a bar where he met some new chums. They spiked his drink and amused themselves at his expense. Their final act was to accompany him back to his hostel room, finding a prostitute on the way. When Sean disturbed them, they fled with the young man's money.