KEY POINTS:
For eight women in Taranaki, and many others nationwide, it is a distressing story they are reluctant to tell.
They have woken up in a strange place, unsure where they are but agonisingly certain they have been sexually violated.
The eight Taranaki incidents took place last Thursday, Friday
and Saturday nights. The women were drinking in bars in Stratford and New Plymouth and, some time during the evening, they believe they were slipped a drug that brought their fun to a fog-filled halt.
Rape Crisis workers say there seem to be few similarities between the cases, with different towns and different bars involved. Descriptions are vague and investigations are not helped by the women being unable to remember what happened to them.
Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward of New Plymouth said police had yet to receive any formal complaints from last week's incidents.
Hawera police were investigating a suspected rape last weekend, but it was not yet known if it involved drugs.
Mr Coward said the police wanted victims to come forward, even if they could not remember what happened.
"We may be able to advance the investigation by other means, including scene examinations and forensic testing."
Security camera footage in bars could also give vital clues.
The Hospitality Association said the attacks in Taranaki had prompted it to remind bar staff to be more watchful for unusual behaviour.
Chief executive Bruce Robertson said the association encouraged patrons to look after their drinks and look after mates.
"This is not something that is easy for us to detect ... We are vigilant, but we keep stressing the public need to take responsibility for their own drinks. They are the best people to ensure they are kept safe."
The Drug Rape Trust said such incidents were probably more common than anyone suspected and the crime needed urgent study.
Since the Taranaki cases were publicised, Rape Crisis centres nationwide have reported women coming forward suspecting they had been victims of a drug rapist.
Police do not keep separate statistics of whether drugs were involved in a sex crime, instead generally counting such an attack as a rape or sexual assault.
Trust chairwoman Louise Carroll said that while several studies had been done overseas, there was no comparable local research. Anecdotally, the trust believed drug rape was on the rise but needed to be defined in crime statistics and properly researched.
"We want to see proper prevention and education programmes in place, and we want to see it starting at Year 11 in high school."
In an Australian study, half of drug-rape victims knew their attacker, and in a British study it was 70 per cent.
"It's happening in all age groups, ethnicities and genders," Louise Carroll said.
How to identify drink spiking and what to do
Information on how people should respond if they suspect they have become a drink spiking or drug rape victim has just been released by the Drug Rape Trust.
Side effects:
* The morning after, the victim may be aware they have had sex but have no recollection of the event.
* The victim may have signs of physical assault but no memory of it, or may have flashbacks.
* They may seem in a drugged state and have no recollection of talking to people that morning.
Responses:
* Go to the doctor. Some drugs used in drink spiking can be deadly.
* Report it to the police. Your information could be the missing piece that allows police to complete the jigsaw and bring a prosecution.
* Keep your clothing and don't have a shower. There could be important forensic evidence that can be used to identify a perpetrator.
* Ask for a doctor trained by Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care.
- NZPA
