Unknown Man Posed as Boyfriend After Student Suspected Spiking Incident

A student, suspecting she had been spiked during an evening out, subsequently learned that an unknown man had been waiting for her outside, asserting he was her boyfriend. Identified as Anna (a pseudonym), she awoke in 2023 experiencing shaking and vomiting following a night out in Cardiff. She only became aware of the incident after contacting an unfamiliar number from which she had received a text message. Anna is among several women who informed BBC Wales of feeling insecure during nights out, detailing occurrences of spiking, catcalling, unwanted physical contact, and stalking. South Wales Police stated that addressing violence against women and girls constitutes a priority, while the Welsh government affirmed its dedication to eradicating violence. Despite having no recollection of the evening, Anna dialed the unfamiliar number. She recounted: “It was a woman, a little older than me, telling me she’d found me in the toilets. “I was really unwell.” She continued: “When she helped me outside, she said there was a man waiting for me, saying I was his girlfriend, but I didn’t know him.” Anna reported the alleged spiking incident to South Wales Police, stating that the force initiated a stalking investigation, though no arrest occurred. Anna further stated: “Police thought, from the nightclub’s CCTV, that [the man] had shown a clear photo of me on his phone.” She added: “They had to consider that this could have been someone who had targeted me for weeks.” She concluded: “There are so many things that could have happened if that girl didn’t help me.” A separate woman recounted being deeply affected by her experience of being spiked via a needle injection in Swansea. Sophie, a pseudonym, explained: “A man approached me to talk to me.” She continued: “He put his hand on my arm, to prompt me to talk to him, or dance with him, and that’s when I believe it happened.” She further described: “About 03:30 in the morning, I woke up and that’s when I realised something was wrong.” She added: “I was numb from the waist down. I was panicking, it was like a nightmare.” Sophie observed a bruise on her arm, and subsequent medical examinations detected ketamine and GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate) in her bloodstream, substances she had not knowingly consumed. Màneha Sethi, 26, stated her decision to depart Cardiff due to discomfort experienced when walking alone. She remarked: “I tend to just make a phone call, make it look like I’m not alone.” She continued: “Take out my keys, or something that will make a noise in your hand which we’ve all instinctively learned, which is really, really sad.” Bethany Emerson, 21, another student residing in Swansea, reported that she consistently records herself while walking alone as a precaution, even though a police presence in the city centre contributes to her feeling of safety. Hannah Gatrell, 19, commented: “You walk down the street, maybe Wind Street, you get comments, you get catcalled, you get whistled at.” She added: “In clubs, I know people who’ve been touched inappropriately.” Street pastors serve as volunteers in the city on Friday and Saturday nights, collaborating with police to safeguard vulnerable individuals. Christina, a volunteer, stated: “Sometimes if people are alone, there might be people trying to move in on them.” She explained: “We would generally look out for that and get between them. What we try to do is early intervention, to stop anything escalating.” Over the last few months, campaigners have organized marches through Cardiff’s streets, utilizing placards and speakers to advocate for the cessation of all violence against women. Rowan Dominique, 20, representing the campaign group Time To Act, asserted that marches in central Cardiff are essential to challenge inappropriate conduct. She further noted: “We always teach about the pyramid of sexual violence.” Dominique emphasized: “We want to be out there. We want people to hear us. So many survivors are so ashamed.” Professor Emily Underwood-Lee, co-chairwoman of the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Research Network for Wales, commented that minor incidents could potentially escalate into “larger actions of misogyny and violence” in the future. She clarified: “I’m not saying that everybody that catcalls will go on to commit some sort of homicide or serious sexual assault.” She continued: “But by enabling these things to go unchallenged, we allow a greater culture that can lead to some of the really horrific things that we hear.” Assistant Chief Constable Joanna Maal of South Wales Police affirmed that addressing violence and abuse targeting women and girls is “a long-standing priority” for the police force. She stated: “We target resources towards clear routes to safety for victims… addressing the harmful attitudes and behaviours that result in violence and abuse.” The Welsh government declared: “Violence against women and girls is unacceptable and far too common at present.” It further indicated its commitment to ending violence and “creating a society where everyone can live without fear.” Additionally, it expressed support for the UK government’s pledge to “creating a single offence for administering harmful substances, which will help tackle crimes like spiking.” Individuals impacted by the issues discussed in this article can locate information about supportive organizations through the BBC Action Line. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.