Women drinkers in Plymouth warned of date rape danger

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Monday, November 30, 2009
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This is Plymouth

BOOZE is the most common date-rape ‘drug’ in the South West, claim police.

The stark warning comes at the launch of National Rape Awareness Week and aims to highlight the potential dangers of excessive alcohol to young women, particularly during the party season around Christmas.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are using the awareness week to promote a “safe drinking message” to the city’s young women who put themselves at risk of becoming victims while drunk.

Assistant Chief Constable Debbie Simpson said: “This isn’t just a festive message – however in the run up to Christmas a lot more alcohol tends to be consumed.

“We would like to ask young women to take note of the following tips if they are partying this Christmas: remember alcohol is the most common date rape drug; don’t drink so much that you are unable to say ‘no’; stay away from situations which make you feel uncomfortable; always pre-book a taxi through a licensed mini-cab office.

The force hope to remind young women of the acquaintance rape campaign message that was launched this summer: ‘Rapists are not always strangers’.

The key fact of the summer campaign was that in 80 percent of reported rapes, the victim had already met their attacker.

ACC Debbie Simpson said: “At least six out of ten rapes happen in a house or flat. It is more likely that a rapist is someone that the victim may have met and gone home with on a drunken night out rather than a stranger in a dark alleyway.”

Mike Scott-Ham, a toxicology expert with the Forensic Science Service, said drink spiking was extremely rare. He said: “Over the past 10 years, we have analysed thousands of samples of blood and urine from alleged ‘date-rape’ victims and have only come across one which contained Rohypnol and only two samples with GHB from instances of genuine ‘spiking’, despite use of ‘Rohypnol’ being detectable in urine samples taken three or four days after ingestion.

“The true reality of the problem is alcohol. Alcohol is the number one ‘date rape’ drug and I fully support the national rape awareness campaign in highlighting this fact.”

WARNING: content suitable for adults only. Devon and Cornwall police have released a rape awareness campaign video which will be shown in cinemas across the West Country.

Drink rape danger for young women.

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  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by mikethebike, plymouth

    Tuesday, December 01 2009, 7:08AM

    “She who knows states:ACC Debbie Simpson said: ¿At least six out of ten rapes happen in a house or flat. It is more likely that a rapist is someone that the victim may have met and gone home with on a drunken night out rather than a stranger in a dark alleyway.¿
    Surely it should be alleged rape and if not this implies that 60% of rape cases before the courts is proven.
    This in turn flies in the face of two of the country's great man lovers who are making every effort to ensure the laws of the land favour those who claim such offences have occurred and under the loosely veiled pile of cow dung that infers the law as it stands is biased toward the accused.
    This is because only a very low number of cases ever get to court and those that do return a guilty verdict of less than whatever the acceptable percentage may or may not be.
    Rape is a heinous crime and cannot be tolerated. However it does take two to tango and responsibillty for ones personal safety is on the whole down to the individual.
    In my humble opinion the majority of these cases is down to regret/revenge/guilt or financial reward on the part of the claimant.
    Getting P****d is no excuse for dropping ones guard, ask those who are regularly apprehended by ACC Simpson's Boys and girls.
    Those stopped are frequently penalised with monetry fines despite offering the numpty excuse of being under the influence.
    Perhaps the police should target those they feel are vunerable to rape with the same approach?”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by gaga, plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 10:27PM

    “I`ve been raped,twice...years apart...once was supposed to be my friend who didn t cared less if i wanted to stay virgin when I was 18, and 4 year ago,at the now Oceania,went out for A DRINK, one after a very long long time without going out in a very special occasion, after my friend wedding, the grooms friend asked me too go for a drink, I was there, I was happy and then....nothing.I woke up next mornig with this stranger next to me....I had no idea where I was, or what did happend, but i was sure that I WASN T DRUNK .I didn t know about the drug in the drink back then.The thing is I got pregnat even with the next day pill, taken propely and abortion....I am dead inside, and I do not act like girls I ve seen around,so why did this happend to me again?Some men are just evil,woman should be more careful who to trust....but generally there is no value whatsoever....what do you get for a five minute of crime, or five minute with your hand a lots of fantasies?no jail, no a life time pain for girls like me....”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by Rita, plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 9:27PM

    “Paul, u are sound! Wish there were more men out there like you in the world. Most of the others commenting on here are really letting the side down. Talk about bitter wiv chips on their shoulders!”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by Just a thought...a very serious one.., Plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 2:37PM

    “This sort of thing really takes away from the very seroius crime of rape towards innocent women who walk along the street minding their own business, are not out of their tree on drink and drugs and flaunting themselves for all and sundry. So please keep the topic in perspective. Drunken predatory women are one thing but rape in the real sense destroys lives.”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by d, plymuff

    Monday, November 30 2009, 1:51PM

    “As Ian says, be careful, it is all too easy for a consenting female to cry rape the next day when she sobers up.

    It is about time a false allegation is given the same penalty as the actual offence.”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by Just a thought....a very serious one., Plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 1:33PM

    “On a seroius note boys.....

    Even as a woman I can see that this is a massive minefield and if I had a teenage son (or in fact any age son who was old enough to have sex) I would indeed be suggesting he get a consent form signed. I am often embarrassed by my own sisterhood at the aggressive and predatory sexual behaviour displayed so brazenly and I have indeed overheard women in bars say loudly 'If he doesn't leave me alone / if he doens't give me promotion etc / I'll accuse him of rape!'. I believe women have tragically demeaned the appalling act of rape and by using it as a threat or even as a 'last minute change of heart' when they've had too much to drink and don't want to face the conseqences, they have done so much damage to their own cause.
    Look how many young girl gang members are in prison for actually assisting in rape by holding another girl down!!

    The police are right - women indeed need to face up to their responsibilities over how much drink they have and stop blaming the myth of pills in thier drink.
    To add to my point, in a Mutley Plain bar I overheard a male student say isn't it about time the rape laws were consigned to the bins since getting a girl laid was now so easy he didn't know why prostitutes and rape were needed.
    We shoud ignore this attitude at our peril.”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by Rod, Plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 1:21PM

    “If your stupid enough to get so hammered you cant even walk then complain some predator raped you.....You may as well paint a bullseye on your bits becasue your gonna attract them like magnets!”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by michael, Bali

    Monday, November 30 2009, 1:16PM

    “Beer - has helped make girls look pretty for 100's of years”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by Paul, Plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 12:49PM

    “Ian. How THICK are you?

    If your going out to 'pull' somone who's been drinking you no better than a date rapist. If they wont sleep with you when theyre sober then you shouldn't be sleeping with them.

    Then again I suppose your one of the any holes a goal lot.

    Get Sterilised, PLEASE”

  • Profile image for This is Plymouth

    by ian, Plymouth

    Monday, November 30 2009, 11:39AM

    “The moral of the story is guys if you are going to pick up a drunken minger from the strip make sure she signs a consent form first just incase she changes her mind afterwards. Better still covertly video tape the whole thing so you can refer back to it later.
    you know how it is these days - yeah but no....but yeah but.........”

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