Calls made to improve spiking protocols

A Cork county councillor has called for the establishment of clear hospital protocols in suspected cases of drink spiking after a family member was recently targeted.

At Monday’s full council meeting, Fianna Fáil Cllr Audrey Buckley described the terror of having a family member fall victim to a suspected spiking incident.

“Nobody wants to get that phone call to go to an emergency to see a family member or a child lying on a trolly, and nobody’s listening to that,” she said.

In her motion, Ms Buckley asked for a letter to be sent to both the minister for health and the minister for justice asking for national protocols to be firmly established whereby, if a person presents to an A&E department with suspected drink spiking, toxicology testing and evidence preservation are carried out and timely garda statements are taken when possible.

Cllr Buckley said: “There have been incidents in Cork, and nationally I’m sure, where people who were likely spiked ended up in A&E but faced long waits, were denied toxicology reports and testing, couldn’t give statements to gardaí, and in some cases no evidence was collected at all, meaning potential crimes weren’t properly investigated.”

Ms Buckley also called for proper training for hospital staff and gardaí so suspected spiking cases are taken seriously and are logged, creating a "formal evidence pathway for gardaí".

Supporting the motion was fellow Fianna Fáil Cllr Gearoid Murphy who said it is extremely important that toxicology reports be prepared by hospitals in suspected spiking cases.

He said: “What we are talking about is the gathering and preserving of evidence in potential criminal cases. Unfortunately, the reality is that it will still be difficult to find the perpetrator in many cases.

“In cases where a suspect is identified, I think we should make very sure that there is no gap in evidence in terms of toxicology and that proper interagency procedures are put in place between hospitals and gardaí to maximise chances of these criminals being caught,” added the councillor.

Social Democrats Cllr Ann Bambury said as the mother of teenagers, she was shocked to discover the lack of clear protocols in place for drink spiking.

“Families should be able to trust that hospitals and garda stations will respond in a joined up, victim centred way, treating suspected spiking as a potential crime from the outset,” she said.