Labour would make spiking a specific offence in order to tackle a “terrifying rise” in the crime, Sir Keir Starmer has pledged.
The Labour leader said spiking was a “pernicious, dangerous and hateful crime” and promised the party will “punish it as such”.
As prime minister, Sir Keir would create a “tough” new law to “stem the scourge of dangerous crimes being perpetrated against women and girls”, he said.
The former director of public prosecutions said he has seen at first hand how victims are let down by outdated laws.
Spiking is currently covered by several different offences, but there is no specific offence police can use to charge perpetrators. The number of reported spiking incidents is rising, with a notable increase in “needle spiking”, which sees people injected with drugs without their consent.
Figures from police forces in England and Wales show there were nearly 5,000 reported needle and drink spikings between September 2021 and September 2022. Almost two-thirds of reports happen at weekends, and more than half of the incidents take place in pubs, bars and clubs.
The home affairs select committee has previously recommended the creation of a separate criminal offence for spiking. However, that was rejected by the government, which argued it was “unnecessary”.
Dawn Dines, founder and boss of the campaign group Stamp Out Spiking, which has been “campaigning for two decades” for a specific law, said: “This will provide protection and hopefully some justice for past victims, but most importantly it will safeguard the public against the actions of the perpetrators.”
She said that she “eagerly welcomed” Labour’s commitment to tackling the crime.
Speaking to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “I saw first-hand as director of public prosecutions that victims are let down when the law doesn’t keep up with evolving crime. My government will recognise the reality of dangerous new crimes being perpetrated against, more often than not, young women, and we will act.
“The rise of spiking sends terror through the heart of every parent with a daughter, and leaves young women feeling vulnerable. Women should not have to live in fear that when they go out, their drink may be spiked, or that they may be injected with a harmful substance.”
The Labour leader warned against “complacency” in tackling new forms of abuse, such as cyberflashing, revenge porn, and the “terrifying emergence of spiking”. And he promised that perpetrators will “feel the full force of the justice system” under a Labour government.
Labour would also consider allowing spiking victims to make reports anonymously, with concerns that some are put off going to the police by “shame or fear”. The party said anonymous reporting would encourage more victims to come forward and help police “identify spiking hotspots” where they could increase surveillance.
Sir Keir has previously committed Labour to the “mission” of halving incidents of violence against women and girls.
He held a discussion on Monday about how to tackle the issue, with campaigners including TV personality Georgia Harrison and actor Emily Atack.
