Drug-facilitated crimes

Sexual Assault & Sedating Substances When Drugs Are Used For Rape: What You Should Know Sedating Substances and Sexual Assault Rapists have used alcohol to sedate victims for centuries. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of sexual assault in which other drugs have been used to render the victim helpless.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and flunitrazepam (Rohypnol) are sedating substances that have been used for this purpose. Perpetrators commonly use GHB and Rohypnol by slipping it into someone’s beverage. Sedating substances may come in many forms including powder, pill, tablet or liquid. Individuals react differently to the substances depending upon their metabolism, personal sensitivity, the dosage used and the presence of alcohol and/or other drugs.

Other sedating substances that have been used to commit assaults include drugs such as Ketamine, Versed, and MDMA (Ecstacy). In addition to rendering the victim unconscious, sedating substances may also lower inhibitions and cause memory loss. All such substances can be uxtremely dangerous.

Facts About Rohypnol

Rohypnol is colorless, tasteless, oderless and dissolves easily in liquid. Rohypnol is prescribed in some countries for the treatment of severe sleep disorders but is not marketed or manufactured in the United States. However, it is illegally smuggled into the U.S., often through Mexico, under such names as Roofies, Roachies, La Rocha, the Forget Pill and the Date Rape Drug.

The effects of Rohypnol begin within 20 to 30 minutes of ingestion and can last 6 to 8 hours. The strongest effects occur within 1 to 2 hours of ingestion. Larger doses are likely to impair one’s ability to remember details of events, particularly when ingested with alcohol.

Rohypnol’s effects are similar to other sedatives and are often compared to a drunk appearance – drowsiness; dizziness; muscle weakness; light-headedness; fatigue; confusion; slurred speech; loss of motor control; loss of judgement and amnesia that lasts up to 24 hours. Once the victim recovers, it may be difficult to recall the events preceding and including a sexual assault.

Facts About GHB

GHB was once sold in health food stores as a sleep aid and a growth stimulant. The FDA has considered GHB a “non-approved drug” since 1990, but it is making an illegal comeback. Although GHB has never been approved and cannot be legally marketed in the United States, it is being clandestinely manufactured and distributed. Like Rohypnol, GHB is readily absorbed into the blood-stream and quickly creates a state of deep sedation.

Known as “Liquid X, Salt Water, Scoop, or Easy Lay”, GHB in its most common form is a clear liquid, but may come in a white, grainy powdered form. As little as ½ gram may render a victim helpless. The effects of GHB appear within approximately 15 minutes and last for several hours. Physical effects may include drowsiness; dizziness; disorientation; nausea and vomiting; seizures/convulsions; coma; and, even death – especially when combined with alcohol. A person who suspects they may have been given GHB should seek medical attention immediately. GHB may be detected for up to 8 hours after ingestion.

What Is Being Done About Rohypnol and GHB?
On October 12, 1996, a federal law entitled “The Drug-Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act of 1996” was enacted. The bill provides penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for persons who intend to commit a crime of violence by distributing a controlled substance to another individual without that individual’s knowledge.

The Controlled Substances Act classifies drugs into schedules according to their potential for abuse and dependence and their accepted medical use in the U.S. Schedule I drugs are considered to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use in the U.S. Rohypnol is classified as a Schedule IV drug (like Valium), but is treated as a Schedule I drug (like heroin) for the purposes of penalties. GHB is a Schedule I drug.

So please, help reduce your risk … Watch Your Drink!

Emotional Effects of Chemically-Assisted Rape When a sedating substance is used to commit a rape, survivors face additional obstacles in their recovery. Because they were sedated, survivors may not have complete recall of the assault. They may be uncertain about exactly what happened or who was involved. These “unknowns” can create tremendous anxiety as survivors are left to fill in the gaps with their imagination. This dynamic exacerbates the loss of control that most survivors feel.

Survivors may not know the identity of their assailant(s). They may find themselves looking at men in various settings wondering, “Is he the one… ?” Eventually, survivors must come to terms with the fact that they may never be able to fill in the missing pieces.

Additionally, the inability to recall important facts makes the prosecution of these crimes extremely difficult. While law enforcement personnel are becoming more aware of the misuse of sedating substances and their effects on victims, there may continue to be some scepticism on the part of those unfamiliar, or inexperienced, in dealing with these types of crimes.

If You Suspect the Use of Sedating Substances… Someone who experiences sudden dizziness, confusion or other unexplained symptoms, especially after drinking, should call a family member, friend, doctor or the police for help in getting to a hospital.

Get to a safe place and call a sexual assault crisis center for information and support. If possible, do not shower, bathe, douche, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, change your clothes, eat or drink before your exam. These actions may destry evidence.

Go to the hospital so that the Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) can be conducted. Request a urine screen to test for the presence of sedating substances as quickly as possible. Remember… EVERY hour matters!

If one chooses not to report the assault, medical attention is still important. Survivors may require treatment for physical injuries and may choose to be tested for possible pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted infections. Protect yourself.

Reducing Your Risk

Slipped into a beverage, sedating substances can leave anyone vulnerable to sexual assault. Help reduce your risk.

Do not leave beverages unattended.
Do not accept beverages from someone you do not know or trust.
At a bar or club, only accept drinks from the bartender or server.
Do not accept open containers of beverages.
Be alert to the behavior of friends and ask them to look out for you.
Watch out for signs of sudden intoxication. If a friend is suddenly rendered unconscious, do not put them to bed – GHB can be deadly!
Most importantly, remember that no matter what, if you are sexually assaulted, you are not to blame and you deserve support.

Anesthesiologist Dr. George Doodnaught guilty of sexually assaulting 21 female patients