Victims of drugs and drink/drug spiking in 2021

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.025005

I note you seek access to the following information:

We could use the following feature code to possibly help identify drink/drug-spiking cases between the dates in question;
• CE – Drug(s) used on victim

To narrow a future request, you may therefore wish to submit a new request for the number of reported crimes where the above feature code and following Home Office
codes were applied:
• 088/05 – Administering a substance with intent
• 008/02 – Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy
• 005/10 – Administering poison so as to endanger life

You could then seek for the following outcomes used to identify those charged;
• Charged/ Summonsed
• Charge/Summons Alternate Offence

Please note, however, that even if you requested these figures, the crime numbers retrieved for any such request would only indicate which offences were likely/possibly to have involved ‘drink / drug spiking’. Even if the figures were retrieved for the above more definitive request, the records would still need to be manually read and reviewed to determine whether a drink in each case was ‘spiked’ / a needle was used to spike someone. Therefore, it is highly likely that the cost exemption would again be engaged, as it has been for other drink / drug spiking requests.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Please note that it was previously explained that even if the figures were retrieved for the above more definitive request, the records would still need to be manually read and reviewed to determine whether a drink in each case was ‘spiked’ / a needle was used to spike someone. Therefore, the cost exemption is applicable here.

However in order to assist you data has been provided here with the caveat that attached data is only an indication of 'drink spiking' offences. In order to get an accurate number of drink spiking offences, every crime report would have to be read.

There is not an offence for 'drink spiking' and the three offences of Administering a substance with intent, Administering poison with intent to injure or annoy and administering poison so as to endanger life can be used with the feature code of “CE – Drug(s) used on victim.” Other offences could be included in these results but in order to get an accurate number of drink spiking offences, every crime report would have to be read which would exceed time limits.

Please read the notes page attached to data.

Please find attached information pursuant to your request above.