Spiking to be made a specific criminal offence in King’s Speech

The new Labour government has introduced a new law making spiking a specific criminal offence. The announcement was made yesterday’s King’s Speech among 35 other bills. 

While spiking is already a crime under various pieces of legislation, including the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, Labour’s general election manifesto states that creating a new, specific offence would help the police better respond to incidents and protect victims. Last December, the Home Office announced plans to amend the Criminal Justice Bill and update the Offences Against The Person Act 1861 to make it explicitly clear that spiking – putting drugs into another person’s drink or directly into their body without their knowledge or consent – is illegal.

According to a new BBC report, police in England and Wales received 6,732 reports of spiking, including needle spiking, in the year ending April 2023.

The Metropolitan Police reported a 13% increase in drink spiking incidents from July to December 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, following a significant rise in recent years. 

The force received 1,383 allegations of spiking in 2023, with the majority occurring in public places, particularly bars and nightclubs. However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has indicated that spiking is underreported and cases can be difficult to investigate because drugs pass through the system quickly.

Yesterday’s King’s Speech marked the official opening of the new Parliament, during which the monarch outlines the government’s plans for the parliamentary term. The new spiking law will apply in England and Wales, with any additional measures falling under the jurisdiction of devolved politicians.

In January, it was revealed that from this summer, clubs and bars in California will be required to provide drink spiking tests under a new law.