Spiked drink turns evening out into nightmare
(CNS): A 34-year-old woman says a beer she ordered at a local bar was spiked with a powerful drug that caused total loss of control and blackout. Now she wants to warn other women of the dangers of date rape drugs and how easily they can find their way into drinks. “I don’t remember any suspicious activity. I don’t remember feeling watched or anything,” she said. Later, when she read up on date rape drugs, she thought, “That’s exactly how I felt.” It was odourless and tasteless; the only thing she was aware of was the impact it had on her body. The victim said she was lucky she had friends to take care of her, but feels frightened when she thinks about the ‘what ifs’.
A Grand Cayman resident who works in the financial services industry, the victim, who wants to remain anonymous, said that last Friday night she was at a bar on Seven Mile Beach with friends where she was meeting her husband, who had first gone to a Christmas party. They ordered a second round of drinks and she got a bottle of beer, which was delivered to the table opened. She said she did not know everyone in her group well, but that there was no chance to spike her drink after it was brought to the table by the bar staff.
“By the second sip, I felt something go terribly wrong,” she said. Her body would not respond, she wanted to talk but the words would not come out – afterwards she was told by friends that she was talking gibberish – but this sensation of being cognizant of what was going on but feeling out of control lasted only for a few minutes. Then she blacked out altogether and remembers nothing until she woke up next morning.
The friends with her that night said it was very obvious something was wrong; she was incoherent and uncomprehending and, as one of them put it, “in a pathetic state”. One of them took her home, where she said she slept for twelve straight hours. When she woke up, she still felt that something was inside her system and had flashbacks of that sip of beer when she suddenly felt the effects of the drug.
The next day she went back to the bar and told the manager on duty about what had happened to her. “The manager was quite defensive, not helpful at all. She accused me of being a heavy drinker. I don’t think she believed me at all.” The victim also said that on the night it happened, no staff member offered to help or asked if she was alright. “They probably thought I was very drunk,” she said.
On Tuesday she reported it to the police because, she said, she doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else, but was a little disappointed by the reaction. “It was a quick conversation, not asking me very in depth details, which I was a bit shocked about,” she said, adding that she wants to warn other women about the dangers of spiked drinks. “On Saturday night I was thinking, is this happening again to someone else?”
A police spokesperson said, “We can confirm that this incident was reported to us for information and that we are not aware of any similar incidents in the area. However, we would urge people to be vigilant and always ensure that others do not have the opportunity to tamper with their drinks. Anyone who suspects they have had their drinks tampered with should contact the police immediately.”
According to the Drink Detective website, there are three major groups of drug rape drugs: GHB, Ketamine and Benzodiazepines, which include Rohypnol (roofie) and valium.
All the drugs act as an anaesthetic that reduce a person’s ability to resist rape or robbery and often causes the victim to cooperate with the criminal. After a few hours, the victim will fall asleep and wake up with little or no memory of what happened when she or he was under the influence of the drug. In addition, these drugs stay in the system for a relatively short time (as little as 12 hours for GHB) so that even if a victim wants to go to the police and press charges, the evidence will have disappeared.
The Drink Detective says this makes it very difficult to prosecute drug-rape crimes. Thereis no violence, the victim cannot remember what happened and the evidence of the crime has left the victim’s system before she even realises that a crime has been committed. Thus, the only effective way to deal with drug rape and other drink-spiking crimes is to avoid getting drugged in the first place.
Category: Headline News
I have read all of ‘anonymous’ comments and the ‘he said..she asaid’ Can i remind everybody that we are in Cayman and if you think that anybody will give a……………one way or the other you have not lived here long enough.
Unfortunately under the shiny surface and bright lights of cayman….there is the feeling of every man for himself and i am OK….sorry you are not but thats how it is……(kind of banana republic rules apply)……
So my advice….be careful ladies because you are responsible for your own well being…
… and us guys are to assist in protecting our ladies in ANYWAY possible. This comment is real, and I hope all reading WILL DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE THIS. WE ALL HAVE TO or we might kill each other off.
I believe our ladies should all be shown respect (even if some don’t respect themselves). I’m one guy who will stand for a lady (given she aint already beating the crap out of the moron who harasses her) Ladies, please don’t abuse our trust.
Two things:
One, unless the bartender is serving the drink directly to the customer the bottle should not be opened. The server should open the bottle in front of the customer. It’s good service, leads to better tips and is safer. Having the bartender preopen the bottles is rude, dirty, unhealthy and UNSAFE.
Second… here’s the rule and it’s real simple. If you ever loose sight of your drink …anywhere… under any circumstances… ‘order a new drink’.
I so often see people walking away, dancing… talking to friends and then coming back to a drink that has been in front of dozens of total strangers and continuing to drink.
This isn’t a new thing and not a sign of the times, this has been going on for years and years… think PRE-disco…
I had some kind of something put in my drink about 4 years ago, in a club that is no longer in operation in Cayman. The next morning, I realised that it was actually placed in a shot because I don’t remember anything after taking that shot (N.B. it was my 2nd shot, drunk with a beer on the side – nothing heavy). Literally, I could not remember anything. It was not like when your memory is a little foggy the morning after drinking & throughout thedays pieces come back to you, no, absolutely nothing. My friend had to tell me what happened the rest of the night. I never reported it because I didn’t have any solid proof & just really, really wanted to not feel as yucky as I did during that next day. It was beyond hungover… a terrible experience, my sympathies go out to the lady in question. Thankfully, the outcome was not even worse.
Leave the woman alone! Leave the bar alone! and leave Sherlene alone!
She asked the relevant questions, the owner did an internal review presumably asking staff what they had seen, if they had noticed anything different etc. etc and, at the same time, IF, IF, IF they were involved, letting them know that mngmt was going to be far more vigilant going forward and the chances of them getting caught had greatly increased…..
I don’t blame the staff orowner – I worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years and have seen so many drunk people being helped out of the bar by their friends that it became almost commonplace. Especially on a Friday night when the desk jockeys came out play – after an exhausting week, happy hour in the heat pounding them back combined with nothing to eat believe me a large number of them were reduced to the mental age of a 12 year old by 9pm! They would come in fairly sober and suddenly they were bumbling idiots. I’m sure that the staff thought this was just another group of desk jockeys and that one of them was drunk or high….
Sherlene’s responses were correct – there was absolutely nothing she nor the staff or owner could do at this point other than commiserate and assure the lady that this would be looked into and I’m sure make sure that all staff and security personnel are aware of what had happened and therefore be more vigilant.
The way I read Donnie Loyd’s response was that Sherlene wasn’t surprised that it happens it was that she hadn’t heard of it happening at RP in the 11 years that she had worked there!!
And as we’ve all read it is far too easy to slip this drug into someone’s drink.
As to the woman to which this happened perhaps her friend’s also thought she was drunk otherwise surely they would have taken her to the hospital, called an ambulance, asked the bartender/staff for help? They may well have thought she was tired, stressed, on medication, hadn’t eaten etc. etc and the drinks just suddenly hit her??
Who knows but well done to the woman for bringing her story to light, going to the place where it had happened and letting them know what had happened. Well done to the RP mngmt for immediately reviewing and making both staff and security aware and not dismissing the matter outright.
No one is at fault here, not the premises, the staff, or the young lady, nobody other than the cowardly, pathetic, delinquent person that did this!!
And thank God the ‘only’ thing that happened from the spiked drink was that the young lady slept for 12 hours and, although not pleasant, and not making light of it in any way whatsoever, some memory loss.
Folks please be careful.
A few years ago a friend of mine found a piece of glass in her drink. Luckily she did not swallow it. She quietly mentioned this to the bartender and he was very defensive. He said, "Well, what do you want me to do about it!"
I commend Mr. Loyd for posting as everyone seems to be worried about where this happened and eventually you will hear off the "marl road" where it was. However, for everyone who is concerned where this happened so that they can avoid the establishment, that is being a bit naive. I say this because I know of four female friends this has happened to over the past 6 years and, yes here in Cayman, at various locations on SMB. One a few years back at a popular Restaurant bar, one at a night club that was in the news few months ago, and most recent two friends on the same night at another night club. The good thing about this is that all these occasions they were with friends that realised something was not right, even if at first they thought the persons may just be very very drunk, only to realise the next morning it was a possible drugging. The reason I am posting is to say this doesn’t just happen at one spot or just to certain people. There are people in the world who are preditors. I am not trying to frighten anyone or say dont go here or there, but we need to be smarter. I know this happens but it doesn’t stop me from going out, I had an old school dad that told me the way the world works sometimes, and saw first hand what happens at night spots as he use to work as a bartender before he moved here years ago and has seen things, I remember when I turned 18, I got the talk about never accepting drinks, no mixed drinks and if I do choose to drink, only drink bottled drinks opened infront of me and I’ve taken that advice every time I go out even now more than a decade later…I just get my own drinks or my husband goes to the bar for our drinks. Never leave your drinks unattended, or accept drinks unless you’ve seen it be made, because eg. the guy who’s a friend of one of your girlfriends is just as likely. This stuff happens here more than you know and more places than one. Just be responsible and look after yourselves and each other.
I too commend Don Loyd. He has always owned and operated very professional and excellent quality businesses. I see no defensiveness ….all I see is a situation objectively handled and attended to. "Date rape" drugs are a rampant problem everywhere . These drugs are dropped into drinks, wine and beer with ease by sick people for fun or for more sinister reasons.
Bottom line…….it’s not the establishment or the employees…..its da sick people who frequent public places along with the normals……and we all need to be very vigilant.
Hope to visit Royals Palms soon.
To be quite frank, while it is possible that this woman was drugged, it is also probable that she suffered from a stroke.
If you are reading this, please go to a doctor immediatly. I have experience with this as a close family member suffered a stroke and neither he nor our family were aware. Now we know the warning signs and some of the things you describe are reg flags!
Do not take this lightly- please see a doctor.
I would add that if someone is suddenly not themselves, ie loss of motor function, then there is a serious problem. Their body is shutting down in self-preservation. The best thing a friend can do is get them to the hospital. Taking them home to "sleep it off" offers no remedy, and opens you up to legal liability.
This rule applies as much to alcohol poisoning as it does to mild strokes, heart attacks, ruffies, and any other life-threatening and time-sensitive medical emergency.
My name is Donald Loyd I am the General Manager of the Royal Palms / Reef Grill.
Saturday morning at 10:15 AM a young lady came to the office at The Royal Palms with a friend to inquire as to whether a phone had been found as she had misplaced hers. She then mentioned that she wanted us to know that her drink had been spiked the night before. Our accounts manager Manager Sherelene Bodden asked about the circumstances.
1. What did you drink? – response – a mixed drink and about four beers.
2. Did you have table service response – no, our friends got our drinks.
3. What kind of drinker are you social, heavy? – response – average
4. When did you notice something? response – after the first beer
5. And you continued to drink? response – yes
6. What time did you leave? response – when it was finished.(closing time)
7. Who took you home? response – my friend here.
Sherlene then said that she was surprised because in the 11 years that she had worked at The Royal Palms this was the first time she had heard of something like this happening. She mentioned that she would speak to the bartenders. The bartenders knew immediately which group it was, where they were sitting and that they did get their own drinks.
When I came to work Saturday Sherlene informed me of the situaltion.
We have conducted an intenal review to find all the facts that we can about the matter. I regret that the young lady felt that we were dismissive however I feel that Sherlene asked most of the pertinent questions and that we have continued to followed up on this matter. If the young lady had mentioned to our staff at the time that she was feeling unwell we would have vigorously followed our procedures when any medical crisis happens at The Royal Palms. Called the police and made sure that medical care was administered.
I am not dismissing what the young lady feels occurred, we at the Royal Palms take the safety of our clientel very seriously. Anyone that visits the property can see the security presence that we continue to provide.
I apologize if she feels that we did not take it seriously however that is certainly not the case.
Regards, Donald Loyd
ok lets clear up the discrepancies in your comments above:
1. My friend had a tropical breeze cocktail sitting at the bar served to her by the bar tender. And one beer shortly after that sitting at the table the bottle already opened. That was the total of her alchohol consumption that evening. This was approx 9:45 pm. She did not have 4 beers and a cocktail.
2. No, table service was not provided her friends collected the drinks from the bar and took them to the table themselves.
3. Yes she was asked what type of drinker she was by Sherlene and she responded that she was not a heavy drinker however she did enjoy a social drink on occassion and on friday evening when the work week was over.
4. My friend said that she noticed something was wrong after the second sip of her beer.
5. My friend did not continue to drink she was unable to do so because of the effect of the substance put into her beer which rendered her incaoable of speech, and use of normal motor skills.
6. & 7 My friend was asked what time did you leave and she told Sherlene that she thought it was about 12 midnight. However she would not have been aware of the exact tme because she was now in a blacked out state and was taken home by her friend and partner. They told her that it was around midnight when they took her home.
I am amazed that Sherlene is not aware of this happening due to the fact that this has been going on for years worldwide, and that it has happened on many occassions in many different drinking locations on the island. I can only suggest that as a manager of a drinking establishment Sherlene fully appraises herself of the problems and situations that can arise in this kind of establishment to become more familiar with this type of thing happening in the future. We are all aware that this is deemed criminal behaviour and Sherlene more than most and of course other managers of bars etc should recognise that criminal behavior is more prevalent when under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
We hope that in future all drinking establishments and not just this particular bar take heed of this report and make themselves and their staff aware that this type of incident whilst it is not common place it is happening and by reading the comments to this article has happened on several occassions to several persons on the island already.
My advice would be to take every step as an individual to ensure you know what you are drinking when you are out and who you are drinking with. And the bars managers, waiting staff and bartenders please in the future make yourselves vigilant.
You have come forward to offer this information, even though your bar has not been mentioned as where this occured. However, you come across defensive because you think this lady has a grudge against you or is trying to make blame. I think everyone who was at that bar is a suspect. This woman approached you to alert you of what happened. It would be nice for her to hear that you will do everything in your power to be aware, (more so than an "internal review") and follow through to provide the best duty of care possible, which includes taking these reports seriously. I am amazed the manager has never heard of this happening!!!!!. Furthermore, when a person is incapacitated from drugs, I have read they often cannot alert anyone of it as they have no control of their mind or body. You cannot fight the effects. All people:don’t make out the lady was awful just because she enjoyed a couple of drinks with friends, waiting for her husband…she targeted by a PREDATOR looking for thrills. THIS IS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR. These people do this because it is SO EASY to do in bars- Tasteless, odourless, virtully undetectable. The sensation of lost control, followed with black out is NOT FUN. No-one would want this. It is easy to assume that the person simply had too many drinks for what they can handle, and this is what becomes the COP-OUT & disbelief in a person’s experience. I am glad this woman has come forward to warn us & help protect other persons. This can only be done if everyone steps up. There is no blame here but on the individual/s who administer these drugs for their own agenda; praying on innocent people for their sick satisfaction…… & what better way for them to get away with it than at a bar- full of people, a means to drug (through beverages) & possibly have their way….. They KNOW the person has no way of stopping it or be able to point out the person who did it. THEY GET AWAY WITH IT.
So in light of this lady & CNS not naming the establishment, it seems the establishment has named itself?
If these two circumstances are the same, then it seems we have an issue of who’s story is correct…? However, it does seem that these events differ and what we have are 2 incidents within the same time period? Compounding the fact that we just gotta be careful.
If these are not the same, this may be the first time hearing, but certainly not the first time it has occurred (she is not the first as some comments below suggest)
This lady is warning us all of the risks present ANYWHERE & ANYTIME. Then why in the world would you see it fit to ‘show face’ and get defensive about your establishment for the sake of business. Could’ve just left the name out, na true? This was not a matter of business till you made it. Now, you may have just lost customers as some previous comments suggest avoiding such places… but again, this can happen ANYWHERE!
"I am not dismissing what the young lady feels occurred" but rather you feel your business is more important than her situation. Otherwise, agree and cement in the fact that people NEEDto be careful REGARDLESS of what security could be in place. It’s what I’d do if I happen to manage such a place and ensure that the security isn’t just there to be there.
Seriously now, come on. We are first responsible for our own safety so all are to be careful. Talking bout we do this and we do that…
Disclaimer: not trying to bash Royal Palms, I just agree that this is a matter of personal safety.
I whole heartedly agree that people need to be vigilent wherever they are.
I am confused as to how "I am not dismissing what the young lady feels occurred" get tranposed into "but rather you feel your business is more important than her situation." I mentioned the questions that were asked to the young lady on Saturday and that we spoke with the bartenders as well as the security to indicate that we did not dismiss her concerns. It was not that Sherlene has not heard of date rape drugs, she stated that she was surprised because nothing like that had happened at The Royal Palms in the 11 years that she has worked there.
The Royal Palms is a family owned and operated business. My 20 year old daughter and her friends enjoy going there. Do you think that we really feel that our business is more important than a young ladies situation? We have done as best we can to find out what has occured and to do our very best to ensure that the property is safe and secure for everyone.
I hope that these letters make everyone aware that we must take care. If we see a friend acting differently we should be concerned and act upon it.
All of us at The Royal Palms wish everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday.
Donald Loyd
Who said it was your fault?
This is why I don’t drink when I go out and frankly people should not go out alone and need to watch out for their friends and DO NOT LEAVE YOUR DRINKS UNATTENDED.
Sadly, this happens all the times in other places and Cayman is now no different than the average place so please all be careful out there.
Doesn’t matter what you’re drinking, they could just as easily slip it in your lemonade or cola. it’s not just liquor drinks that they may spike.
The best way would be to drink bottles and request they be opened at the table.
O.K. for the mentally challenged out there and there seems to be a lot.
1. The location is as relevant as her choice of drink. It could happen anywhere someone can slip something into any drink. Anywhere. Got it?
2. The only people who should have a problem with this are the ones who have done, will do, or would do this to another person. Or maybe someone who hopes someone will do it to them. Sick!
3. This is the NEW Cayman. Third world Banana republic Dictator led Cayman where crime is now growing in leaps and bounds and the criminal minded can now have their way without much worry. Good people BEWARE! This means don’t be afraid just be aware of the what is happening around you and know that it is no longer safe here.
If this is really true, why is the location not being exposed so that others can avoid it.
Telling others of your experience is in order but if your intent is to warn others then give the facts so that the location can be avoided and the guilty put out of business.
I frequent several locations on Seven Mile Beach for the purpose of having some drinks and I would certainly like to avoid a similiar experience like yours.
CNS: See my previous comment. Be careful wherever you go. Just because this happened to the woman in the article at one particular place doesn’t mean that is where the perpetrator always hangs out.
I’m not sure I understand why people are doubting this lady?? The lady could only say to the best of her knowledge when the effects ‘came on’… I even suspect that it may have been placed in a previous drink??
There is a bar right on SMB (with a heeuuuge car park one side and beach the other) where I have heard of this happening before.
Shame on the bar staff and RCIP that did nothing about this incident when it was reported to them.
Hey Sherlock Holmes!!!!! would like to hear some sujestions of how you would treat a complaint like this if you were a cop called to deal with it two days later. What evidence do you have to work with? good luck with that one; any chance to let lose on the RCIP eh.
We are discussing the victim of a serious crime here, I do not think it unreasonable for the RCIPs to provide a better response to the victim than "what do you want us to do about it?" Providing some form of reassurance for the female ‘victim’ is a start isn’t it??
To be fair I mentioned the bar staff and the RCIPs – both had a responsibility to deal with the complaint seriously.
Licensed establishments must be forced to get themselves a decent video surveillance system in order to be open for business – not like the awful system Next Level had with very poor results – but a professionally installed and maintained system which can provide results and support for the RCIPs – who I agree are ‘up against it’ in a case like this.
To those who doubt these drugs, even orajel numbs on contact.
Sounds like this was published to inform the public of the dangers that are ever present. Hopefully this doesn’t happen to those who don’t believe but I pray we all listen and not let our doubt and quickness to judge cause us to be ignorant and fall prey to such events.
And by the way, more people are raped and molested in this country than we are willing to admit. However, it is all kept ‘hush hush’ in fear of what is happening to this lady now and justice is often never served. Need I say more?
Good job CNS for actually publishing this story and giving 2 cents about our well being.
Shame on all of you trash talkers and toilet mouths.
And thank you lady for having the courage to tell your story and hopefully save lives or at least save someone from the devastating effects this may potentially lead to.
This has happened to 2 girls that I know already!
Hi there
This exact thing happened to me on SMB about a year and a half ago and I had exactly the same reaction from the police. I was really applauled at the way they ignored my complaints essentially. They issued a press release as the story "got out" implying that I was drunk rather than telling the truth although warning people to be vigilant. They also said that they had never heard of it happening before, but having spoken to some friends after the event it was clear that was also a lie. In fact my doctor said it had happened to him!
People need to be careful – this drug is very dangerous and works VERY quickly. You have no control over your body or mind, and you have no idea what happened the next day. I still have a complete memory blank. Thankfully I was with my husband and friends, or I hate to think what would have happened to me.
The person who is so defensive above has clearly never had it happen to them, and has no idea what it feels like. It does not feel like being drunk and the "hangover" the next day is not like one from drink alone. It is a terrifying experience that absolutely kills your body – I had to go on a drip the next day as I was vomiting so much I was bringing my insides out (sorry for the graphic description btu I’m trying to make my point!).
As the person above says, just make sure when you go out you have good friends with you and you watch out for each other.
Well maybe if this really happens the people should go directtly to the hospital..but they dont..and the next day they go to the bar asking wat happened…and u urself said that u dont remember anything so how are they supposed to believe u? n also most people get drunk or high themselves and have memory loss..maybe u should stop going to bars..how about that?
You really think that someone who has been drugged, is cogniscent enough to think I have to got to hospital? and the next day they are in shock, that is why they try and retrace their steps
As for the police believing, simpe all they have to do is ask the witnesses present at the time. If someone has one beer and a sip of another they are very very unlikely to be paralytic on alcohol.
"n also most people get drunk or high themselves and have memory loss.."
I can tell you must do this a lot from the clairty of your posting, brain damage is a serious matter
To: Thu, 12/17/2009 – 09:08.
You are such an idiot!!… how do you get through a single day of your life you clown??
hahaha, what a bunch of morons we got here. Someone tells her story to inform others so it won’t happen to them (considering "the chumps" would try to insult her) and we’re kicking the victim while their down. …. hmmmm… yall need help.
Who said it was the bartender? No one was ruled out. And perhaps it wasn’t ment for her but another lady (who may not have had friends to take her from harm)
If this lady was then later rapped and killed, creating another "Estella Story" would we be so ignorant to what she went through?
I’m a guy and perhaps we all assume it was a guy who did it but I would not for a moment tolerate this happening to anyone in my family (and neither would you) and therefore I sympathize with this lady.
Bottom line: be careful everywhere because this, or any other crime, could happen to any one of us and anytime.
I witnessed a friend at a party acting extremely drunk. Problem is she had just arrived. A stranger had given her a ride there. Frankly he gave me the creeps hanging round and watching her. I wish I had stepped forward. If someone you know is acting out of character or unusual DO NOT just assume "they have had too much to drink".
I am absolutely amazed at the comments on this story. Seriously? Are there really people out there who think like this or is it just a means of getting "noticed" on the site? Having emailed this storyout to friends and colleagues, I have had quite a few responses back saying that this has happened to them or to friends, one of which was at the same bar!
For the ignorant, date rape drugs can take as quick as 15 minutes to kick in and can last up to 12 or more hours. By the time the person wakes up and pieces together what happened its a good 24 hours after the event so the question, to all those doubters out there is, by going to the hospital would it have been in time for the drug to still show up in the blood test? Maybe, maybe not.
With everything that is going on against women on this Island you would think that an article like this would be taken seriously rather than the victim being accused of being drunk and of dodgy character. Thankfully women are less likely to question something like this and so will take it seriously – in which case the person did the right thing by coming forward and making it public. To the men who commented on this article – all I can say is, please get a life and hope it doesn’t happen to your girlfriend, daughter, sister, wife on an innocent night out with friends … !
Spiking has been going on for years. Not just female but males as well. Its much easier to roll them over and take their wallets. Very few people go to the police because of the stigma, so therefore it is an easy crime. There seem to be a few locations that specialize in this. Very hard to catch, best to avoid those locations completely.
I didn’t name the establishment in this story so that everyone could comment freely without me having to censure to avoid legal action. Basically, it could happen anywhere and the basic message is to be careful.
I think this article is extremely useful during the Christmas period. Everyone should be more vigilant in this day and age, and this article just highlights it. Whilst I appreciate it doesn’t state she went to hospital, date rape drugs are so powerful that they can take effect extremely quickly, and her friends probably thought that she’d had too many beers so took her home to sleep it off. If you observe someone who has taken/been given Rohypnol for example, you would think you were looking at someone who was very drunk. I can therefore completely understand why she didn’t go to the ER.
Well done CNS for highlighting something that ladies should really be watching out for.
For all those chumps (men, no doubt) doubting this story – honestly! What does the lady get out of it? She is anonymous and the place is unnamed.
And we wonder why women don’t report this kind of thing. If she had been raped, I guess it would have been the same….. she must have been drunk, therefore her fault, she was asking for it…bla bla bla. Violence against women in the form of date rape drugs is real but all too often women are too embarassed to come forward and even if they do the chump brigade steps up and humiliates them even more.
Let me tell you, this has happened to me and it was just like it was described here, just all of a sudden I felt like I had been given a huge sedative and them blank for the rest of the night. And no I wasn’t drunk, no way. Like the lady in the story I was lucky enough to have friends near by who took me home. But I tell you, I felt violated and vulnerable and have never felt relaxed about a night out since.
I went to the police (in the UK) and met a chump in uniform who clearly did not believe me and said there was nothing he could do about it anyway. I have since met a woman who was RAPED like this but because the drug moves out of the system fast (read to the end of the article, chumps) she could not prove that it was not consentual and no charges were brought to the b***** who did it.
To the woman in the story, you did the right thing by telling it. Ignore the chumps – they are ignorant creeps, almost as bad as whoever spiked your drink.
Ok, not to doubt what this lady believes but the article itself says it takes a few hours for this stuff to work. Sooo….. the second sip… Im afraid just doesnt sound believeable. Sorry. Unless she was drinking for hours, in which case she may indeed have been drugged but equally she may have been drunk. Hmmm, we may need Sherlock Holmes for this one.
Ahem… Whoever spiked her drink likely did it while her beer was open on the tray and the bartender was making the other drinks for her group. (No one said, or even implied it was the bartender)
Anything added to a sitting drink would naturally sit at the top unless mixed in.
Anyone who knows anything about powerful sedatives knows that they work almost instantaneously.
Anyone who knows anything about drinking knows that unless you’re drinking strong liquor or are a child, 2 beers will not cause you to pass out for 12 hours.
You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out that this poor woman was drugged.
(I heard it was at XXXXX. And I am appalled that they would not take this incident seriously)
thankyou. An intelligent response, finally! There is so much ignorance out there. This woman is a married, is mature & would know this has happened. for the "Chumps": Don’t be so quick to judge someone & get on your high horse when you haven’t doen your homework. As far as I can see, this woman has done us a favour in alerting us to this incident & hopes no other person has to go through it. But they will.
1. who said it was a bar tender? EVERYONE is a suspect who was there that night. That’s why it is SO EASY for this to occur.
2. These drugs are sedatives. Google rohypnol & you will discover it takes hold almost instanteneously. The person has ZERO control over mind or body. just think: this is a hurrendous experience to not have control of oneself then blank out for so long.
3. No-one asks for this. People can be free to enjoy themsleves over a few drinks is as innocent as going out for a meal. Do you check you food for e-coli or gastroenteritis?
You have obviously never been drugged to say that. Anyone who has had an operation, for example, will remember that you don’t get too far countign back from 10 once the anesthesiatakes hold & you blank out, right? IT’S CALLED A SEDATIVE! Same thing. It may not sound believable because it happens SO EASILY. That’s the prIoblem. It does not take many drinks along with a substance to be incapacitated. You need to do your homework, as Sherlock Holmes would.
Great for everyone to be aware of date rape drugs that exist, particularly the 15 year olds that seem to go MIA all weekend. However, delusional disorders and other pychosis are far more common than date rape drugs in the western hemisphere. It’s well known that Alcohol and Marijuana use may lower the threshold for psychosis in some people, and each of those drugs may synergize with a long list of common substances.
Ask yourself, what would a busy SMB bartender’s motive be for drugging a lady out with friends? How would they calculate which of them would drink the beer? Then what? Is he/she supposed to leave the bar at the begining of the night to come to their aid for some sinister purpose?
You don’t have to be Columbo to be skeptical of this improbable crime scenario.
CNS: Who said it was the bartender?
With all due respect CNS, your story implies, whether intentionally or not, the guilt of the bar staff, either bartender or wait staff. It is blatantly obvious as to why a few of the posters would have taken that from their reading of the story.
"They ordered a second round of drinks and she got a bottle of beer, which was delivered to the table opened. She said she did not know everyone in her group well, but that there was no chance to spike her drink after it was brought to the table by the bar staff."
CNS: It implies no such thing, though it does not rule out the possibility. It suggests that the lady in the article believes the drink was spiked before it got to her. Perhaps (just one possible scenario) it was left unattended between the time the drinks for that table were prepared by the bartender and the time they were collected by the waiter/waitress, giving time for someone else to spike the drink. If you ask me, that sounds more plausible, though I cannot possibly know.
We’ll probably never know. However, this does not change the moral of the story, which is to be careful when out drinking.
Fair enough, it does however imply it to me and by the looks of things, others as well. Your possible scenario has a few holes in it too, for instance. How would the perpertator know who or even which table the drink was for? Or was he/she just going to follow the drink and see where it went? Unlikely.
I think you’re analysing too much and trying to figure out the unknowable. We don’t know how this happened or why it happened and will, in all probability, never know these things. Let’s just focus on the main message, which is that drink spiking can and does happen in bars all over the world and can occur anywhere in any bar. So be careful, and learn the symptoms so that if it happened to you or a friend that you are aware of what is going on and you can react appropriately.
I think if the motive was robbery they could have spiked a drink randomly and just sat back to see who went off thier head. Might be more obvious if you know what to look for, someone who very suddenly acts very drunk. Or they may have done it for a laugh. There are some sick puppies out there.
THEY ARE PREDATORS & CRMINALS LOOKING FOR SICK THRILLS, THAT’S WHY!
mm, lest see.
a guy overhears a nice looking girl on the next table when ordering their drinks from the waitress
"can I try one of those locally brewed Stingray beers please, I hear they are very nice" rest of the table get Amstels
Man watches barstaff prepare order,see the open Stingray bottle. Approaches bar drops in roofie while barstaff not looking and then asks where the rest rooms are located.
He returns to his table rubbing his hands together and waits
I suggest you re read the article no one said it was the bartender!!
It would be helpful to know which establishment this occurred at so other woman could be extra cautious.
I’m a bit puzzled here. The article does not say if the woman went to the hospital and evidence came up to show that she had been drugged. How can someone conclude that there was a ‘powerful drug’ used. I’m not trying to pacify this; as it is a very serious matter, but we have to be sure before speculation causes rampant fear. People should always be vigilant and not accept open drinks from strangers. There are a number of circumstances that can have persons experiencing abnormal behaviour when drinking two of those being- 1. that you may not be a heavy drinker and 2. that you have not had a proper meal before drinking. However, I’m sure that no one knows this lady better than she knows herself, so if she says that she feels that she has been drugged, people should not take the situation lightly but rather try to prove it and find out the truth.
"Thus, the only effective way to deal with drug rape and other drink-spiking crimes is to avoid getting drugged in the first place."
Ammm, Hello…. She didn’t know she was getting drugged and probably didn’t think much about it when the drink came un-opened. I think the rest of us should head the warning.
The quote about is stated after they say "The Drink Detective says this makes it very difficult to prosecute drug-rape crimes. There is no violence, the victim cannot remember what happened and the evidence of the crime hasleft the victim’s system before she even realizes that a crime has been committed."
I understand that the RCIP is a walking – you know what , begins with a C and rhymes with dock, show. These things still need to be taken seriously!
Ladies and Gentlemen – take care of yourselves and your friends and family, it seems like we can never predict what will happen next.
As much as I see the merit of having a story such as this printed in warning people of the potential dangers of having something slipped into your drink, I would have to point to the following:
1- Did this woman go to the hospital to get tested after? I am doubting that she did. So there is no way to confirm that this was the case of Date Rape Drugs being slipped in her drink. So the paper could not be rightful in reporting this as such.
2- She states that there was no way that she could have been slipped this drug at her table. I am assuming because of friends and collegues being around. However I highly doubt that the server that brought her the drink would slip it to her.
3- I will have to side with the bar manager if she observed this person. I know many women who after 2 or 3 drinks are wasted similar to that of someone who may have drank 10 drinks. Normal to sleep it off.
So with all the above, I cannot agree that she was drugged. The evidence is not there. Her effects are similar to that of someone that is just DRUNK. Had she gone to the doctor and taken a blood test to show what was in her system and it came back positive then I would have a differed opinion.
I believe that the gripe in this issue and her reason for reporting it to the news is just because her feelings were hurt by the bar manager in telling her that she is a heavy drinker.
Why so defensive? Did this happen at your bar? Are you the ignorant and inconsiderate supervisor? I am amazed at the negative feed-back on this article? As a female I am so happy to be made aware of these types of situations. In Cayman, we tend to get very comfortable in our surrounds…think that nothing bad can happen to us because we are living in paradise. But guess what, the bad elements are here too…and preying on naive thinking individual like yourself.
I am not totally ruling out the bartender, these type of people usually work in pairs.
Quote from the article:
"After a few hours, the victim will fall asleep and wake up with little or no memory of what happened when she or he was under the influence of the drug. In addition, these drugs stay in the system for a relatively short time (as little as 12 hours for GHB) so that even if a victim wantsto go to the police and press charges, the evidence will have disappeared."
So how could she have gone for a blood test?
After the second sip of beer? How does it work that quickly? She said it was the second round of drinks….I’d say it was probably in the first drink then. Maybe she should check out who was around for the first round of drinks. It has happened to me before and it’s not a nice thing at all. Like the last bit of the article, it’s hard to avoid because it’s hard to detect. Ladies, just make sure you have a group of good friends with you every time you go out incase of emergencies.
Why wont you tell us what Bar it was? You know, it coyuld help some other unsuspecting soul.