NSW Police Are Investigating Reports Of Needle Spiking In Newcastle Nightclubs
“Police are awaiting toxicology results and have commenced further inquiries into the incidents.”
New South Wales Police is investigating a number of reports of alleged needle spiking at venues across Newcastle in recent weeks, following similar reports overseas.
One alleged victim, a 20-year-old woman, landed in hospital in the early hours of the morning after attending a nightclub on King Street on December 3. After feeling unwell, the woman presented to Gosford Hospital for treatment.
“Newcastle City detectives are investigating a reported incident at a licensed premises in Newcastle on Friday 3 December 2021,” police said in a statement. “It’s understood a 20-year-old woman attended a venue on King Street, prior to feeling unwell and leaving the premises in the early hours of Saturday 4 December 2021. The woman later attended Gosford Hospital for treatment.
“A further two women have come forward to police reporting similar incidents and feeling unwell after attending two licensed premises in Newcastle and Hamilton at the weekend,” the statement confirmed. “Police are awaiting toxicology results and have commenced further inquiries into the incidents.”
Another woman took to social media to share her story, alleging that one of her friends was “injected with some sort of roofie drug by a needle.”
The reports in Newcastle come months after similar allegations surfaced in the UK. However, no cases have officially been confirmed in the UK thus far as authorities struggle to verify reports.
If you know you or a friend has been spiked via injection, you should immediately wash the injection site with running water and cover it with a bandage, according to GP Dr Sameer Sanghvi. Do not scrub or attempt to suck anything out of the wound. You should also seek immediate medical attention to ensure you have not been poisoned, or have not contracted any sort of needle-born illness. Generally, this will mean getting hepatitis shots and doing a HIV test.
Anyone with information regarding the alleged needle spiking incidents is urged to contact Newcastle Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.