Intervene if women at spiking risk, says minister

Bystanders should be prepared to step in and help women who appear at risk of spiking during the Christmas party season, the safeguarding minister has said.

Jess Phillips told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that people should "just go up to a woman... and say is everything alright" where safe to do so.

It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met police chiefs, hospitality bosses and transport leaders in No 10 to co-ordinate action against spiking.

Labour has also reiterated a pledge to make giving someone alcohol or drugs, without them knowing or agreeing, a specific criminal offence.

The government has already promised extra training for bar staff to help them prevent incidents, support victims and retain evidence.

Asked about a UN report that says bystanders must step in to help end violence against women, Phillips said she has intervened "many times" and that people would "not be offended" by someone checking if they are safe.

Speaking from a bar in Birmingham, Phillips said staff have been encouraged to step in if they see "bad behaviour", for example "men bothering women on the dancefloor".

Some experts have expressed concerns that police do not have the resources or inclination to deal with spiking.

Phillips said that new legislation would not "necessarily change anything", but that the government's proposed measures would help co-ordinate action between police and hospitality staff.

She added the government was responding to a push from charities "on the front line" who wanted legislation on spiking to be made clearer.

"These things only work if training is rolled out regularly and training becomes part of the culture of an institution," she said.

Those at the Downing Street meeting shared best practice in tackling spiking, with the government promising extra training for bar staff to help them prevent incidents, support victims and retain evidence.

"As everybody around this table knows, this is pernicious," Starmer told the meeting.

"It is under-supported and underreported. We have to shift that and we are determined to do so."

Saraya Haddad, 27, was spiked in 2019 - waking up 13 hours later with no memory of what had happened.

She said the government's plans were "definitely positive steps in the right direction" but that "so much more" needed to be done.

"Spiking doesn't just happen in bars and clubs - and it doesn't just happen to women," she said.

Ms Haddad went to the hospital the day after she was spiked, where she says healthcare workers discouraged her from reporting the incident to police - claiming the drug would likely have left her system.

The government should look at healthcare as well as policing as it tries to tackle spiking, she said.

Libby, 18, believes she was injected with a substance while at a bar for a friend's birthday a few weeks ago.

"I went to the toilet with my friend and basically fell limp," she said. "My eyes were rolling back and I was shaking and shivering."

She added her friends and mum have been "traumatised" by the experience, and she is frustrated by the lack of answers.

"The police told me that if they don’t get back in touch it means the bar won’t give them the CCTV," she told the BBC, adding the whole incident has been "swept under the carpet".

The prime minister described his promise to halve violence against women and girls over the next 10 years as a "personal commitment".

Spiking is already illegal, but the government has committed to naming it as a specific criminal offence - though it has not given a timeframe for when new legislation will be introduced, and there was no detail about doing so in the King's Speech in July.

According to the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Starmer told ITV's This Morning programme that he hoped making spiking a specific offence would encourage more victims to come forward, calling it a "hugely impactful" issue.

"We are clearly identifying what it is, meaning we are making it easier to have a public campaign around it."

MPs first called for spiking to become a specific criminal offence more than two years ago, when a parliamentary committee found it could have a deterrent effect, as well as encouraging victims to come forward.

Building their confidence is a key part of the government’s mission to create safer streets.

• BBC secret filming shows pubs not enforcing safety scheme

The meeting between the prime minister and hospitality, law enforcement and transport chiefs comes as they look to work together to reduce incidents of spiking.

Chief Constable Jason Hogg of Thames Valley Police told the meeting how his force was deploying plainclothes officers in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour.

British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi highlighted the relaunch of 61016, a free text-to-report number people can use to contact the force for help in the event of harassment on the train.

Starmer told This Morning that bystanders could also use the number: "Remember if you’re not the victim but you see it happening to somebody else, you too can use it."

Those at the meeting also discussed how spiking incidents were counted across different police forces, with Sir Keir saying it was currently "quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers".

Sir Keir earlier described combatting spiking as being central to the government's mission to "stop women being targeted, whether they are out with friends or simply travelling home" and bring perpetrators of "this cowardly act" to justice.

Also present was UK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholl and Chief Constable Maggie Blythe - the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) lead for violence against women and girls.

Up to 10,000 bar staff across the country will also be trained over the next few months aimed at preventing incidents, supporting victims and helping police collect evidence.

There will be a pilot of the training in December ahead of a wider rollout in March 2025.

Ms Nicholls welcomed the support for bar and door staff to be able to identify the signs that somebody may have been spiked - as well as the crucial step of what to do next.

"We are committed to working with the government to rolling that out at pace and scale," she said.

As this underreported crime gets attention at the highest level of government, many hope it will build the confidence of victims - and make nights out safer.

If you think a friend has been spiked, the NPCC advise alerting a member of staff in the venue and staying with your friend - not letting them go home on their own or leave with a stranger.

It added that spiking should be reported online or by calling 101, or in an emergency calling 999.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support can be accessed through the BBC's Action Line.