low graphics version | feedback | help
| Front Page World |
| UK |
|
Northern Ireland Scotland Wales |
| UK Politics Business Sci/Tech Health Education Sport Entertainment Talking Point In Depth AudioVideo |
|
 Nina Richards"I did not have a chance to fight or say no"  real 28k |
The terror of drug rape
Nina Richards: "Date rape is the perfect fraud" |
The evening started with a drink with a client and a friend.
But by the end, Nina Richards - helplessly debilitated by a powerful sedative in her drink - had been raped by the client's friend.
A man was arrested, but not charged through lack of evidence.
Now drug rape support groups - who reckon there are at least 2,000 victims in the UK - are backing calls by a Scotland Yard officer for more police training to identify the crime and help victims.
Nina's drink was spiked |
She said: "I felt totally sick and particularly the fact that somebody had taken away my control of my mind.
"I did not have a chance to fight or say no.
"I felt anger, anger, anger, that somebody could tamper with my brain.
"I still feel angry. I don't like being taken advantage of, in private life or business."
 It could happen to me all over again  |
| Nina Richards |
She says all women are vulnerable to drug rapists.
"It frightens me, particularly because I was with a client that night. You would never feel worried.
"But it could happen all over again, Women are so, so vulnerable."
She feels sure her attacker will be convicted at some stage in the future.
"I believe that everyone gets their comeuppance and I do believe that he will be caught one day - but not through what happened to me, because we do not have the evidence.
"But I have a business to run. I think that negative energy should be turned into positive energy and I should be trying to put it into what I am trying to do and move on."
'Be vigilant'
She likened drug rape to fraud.
"Date rape is the perfect fraud - it's making you believe something that isn't there, that isn't true."
And she advised women looking forward to the festive party season to be extra careful.
"The first bit of advice is that if you are out with your friends and you know you've only had a couple of drinks and you start feeling very drunk, or hot and cold, sick, get out of there.
"Secondly, there is always a saviour in this situation. If you are feeling very sick, there will be somebody there who will come to your rescue - that will be the person who will have done it and they will be there to look after you, but they will be the ones who will rape you.
"Otherwise, be vigilant, because when I say that, I know it could happen to me again.
"You've still got to trust people, there's no point in going through your life not trusting anyone, but really take care.
|
Search BBC News Online |
|
|
 Advanced search options | |
| |
 | |
 | |
| |
|
| BBC RADIO NEWS |
| |
| |
 | BBC ONE TV NEWS |
| |
| |
| WORLD NEWS SUMMARY |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| PROGRAMMES GUIDE |
|
|
See also: |
|
 |
|
 |
02 Dec 99 | UK |
|
Drug rape menace growing |
| |
|
|
15 Sep 99 | UK |
|
Film highlights date rape campaign |
| |
|
|
03 Jul 99 | UK |
|
Opinion divided on date rape sentences |
| |
|
|
15 Jun 98 | UK |
|
Date rape drug ban starts |
| |
|
|
02 Feb 99 | UK |
|
Yard in 'drug rape' research |
| |
|
|
Internet links: |
|
|
|
|
|
Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services - Anti drug rape advice |
| |
|
|
New Scientist - Nailing the drug rapists |
| |
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites |
|
Links to other UK stories are at the foot of the page.
E-mail this story to a friend
~RS~a~RS~international~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~42~RS~)