Easy read consultation 2 on ways to protect women and girls – spiking

Consultation 2 about ways to protect women and girls Spiking - Easy Read version

About this document

This is an Easy Read document.

It is a consultation.

A consultation is a set of questions that the Scottish Government asks everyone to find out what they think about some important issues.

We want to know what you think about ways to protect women and girls.

We would like your views on 5 different topics.

Some of these topics include possible changes to the law.

This document is about spiking.

Spiking means giving someone alcohol or drugs without them knowing or agreeing.

It can involve:

• adding something to a drink or food
• injecting someone using a needle
• using vaping devices

What is happening at the moment

Spiking someone’s drink is the most common type of spiking.

Spiking can happen:

• at private events, like parties
• in bars and pubs
• in nightclubs

Most victims are women but men can be victims as well.

The UK Government plans to make new laws about spiking for England and Wales.

This is to make sure that all the police forces deal with spiking in the same way.

Some people want the Scottish Government to make a new law on spiking too.

In Scotland we already have laws that cover spiking.

The laws include:

• it is an offence to drug someone
• it is an offence to harm someone
• it is an offence to give someone drugs or alcohol so that you can sexually abuse them

What we want to happen

We like that spiking is covered by several laws instead of just 1.

We think that this makes the law against spiking stronger.

If we changed the law and made just 1 law for spiking we think it could make the law weaker.

We think it would be better to:

• collect clearer information about spiking crimes
• make sure our law systems deal with spiking crimes really well

In 2021 we set up a group in Scotland to help stop spiking from happening.

We think that the work of this group is helping and that this is better than changing the law.

Our questions

1. What do you think about the law at the moment, for spiking?

2. What do you think about making a new law just for spiking?

3. What work could be done to make more people know about the dangers of spiking?

How to send us your answers

Thank you for reading this consultation.

You can put your answers in an answer form called the Respondent Information Form.

Find the Respondent Information Form here.

When your answers are in the Respondent Information Form you can send it to us by email or post.

If you need help to send us your answers you can email protectionsforwomenandgirls@gov.scot.

Our other consultations

We have 4 other consultations about ways to protect women and girls.

The consultations are about:

• non harassment orders

Find the non harassment orders Easy Read questions here.

• non fatal strangulation

Find the non fatal strangulation Easy Read questions here.

• making sure that crimes against pregnant women are seen as very serious

Find the crimes against pregnant women Easy Read questions here.

• online harm, including using technology to make intimate images

Find the online harm Easy Read questions here.