Hundreds of partygoers have fallen victim to “hypodermic needle spiking” in Spain, the country's Guardia Civil police force has warned. The assaults are said to be part of a dangerous “viral challenge”.
At least 96 suspected cases of victims being pricked or injected with hypodermic needles have been recorded in Andalucia, a southern region of Spain containing tourist destinations Malaga and Granada. At least 12 more have been reported in Valencia and the Balearic Islands, Olive Press reports.
There is no official data on the number of needle attacks in the country, mainly taking place in nightclubs. However, the number of victims is reported to be “in the hundreds”, Olive Press’ investigation found.
Local reports have suggested the needle attacks are attempts at drugging victims before sexual assault. However, Guardia Civil Madrid investigator Maria Luisa Calcerrada said that none of the victims of needle pricks tested positive for drugs.
She told Olive Press : “We haven’t had any cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault. All of the tests of women who reported being needle spiked were negative. We are currently investigating what the perpetrators’ motivation is, but it always happens in crowded places.”
She added that there was no organised group behind the attacks, and that a viral internet “prank” could be the motivation behind the crime. Angelines Cruz, a professor of forensic toxicology at Santiago de Compostela University, also believes that sexual assault is not the motive behind the attacks.
The professor told Olive Press : “To drug someone with a needle, the perpetrator needs a lot of time to inject the drug. Also, the effect is not immediate, so it makes no sense to me that this technique is used to override their will.”
Professor Cruz added that there is a danger of the needles spreading hepatitis and HIV. She suspects the same needles are being used on more than one victim.
The attacks, known as pinchazos (punctures) in Spanish, are part of a spate of similar crimes taking place across Europe. Hundreds of needle prick assaults have been reported in bars and clubs in the UK over the last year, The Independent reports .
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