Nine women had their drinks "spiked" at a summer party attended by Germany's chancellor, officials have confirmed.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) said at least nine women were taken ill following the invite-only event that was attended by chancellor Olaf Scholz and MPs.
A spokesperson for the SPD confirmed a report in the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel about the alleged spiking, adding: “There’s quite a lot of emotion."
All those concerned were advised to file a complaint, RTE reports, with police now launching a criminal investigation.
The spokesperson didn't rule out further cases, with the SPD sending out an email to all those invited to the event on Wednesday.
They slammed the incident as a "monstrous act which we immediately declared to parliamentary police".
About 1,000 people joined the chancellor and MPs at the SPD's traditional, invite-only summer party ahead of the parliamentary recess.
"It was an internal event. You could only get in with an invitation," said the spokesperson.
"There's still a lot of uncertainty, the police are investigating."
In a statement, Berlin Police said the woman who filed the complaint had no memory of the party the next day, and only reported the incident after visiting hospital.
A spokesperson said: "After attending a summer party last Wednesday in Tiergarten, a woman complained of feeling unwell, dizziness and memory loss.
"According to previous knowledge, the 21-year-old was at a summer party held by a party in Grosse Querallee from 3.30pm.
"Throughout the afternoon and evening, she consumed beverages, including non-alcoholic ones, and food.
"From around 9.30pm. she is said to have become unwell and dizzy. The morning after the event, the young woman is said not to have remembered the evening, had herself examined in a hospital and reported to the police who had been alerted."
They added: "The emergency services initiated a preliminary investigation into dangerous bodily harm against unknown persons and ordered a blood test, which was carried out while still in the hospital, for the purpose of toxicological analysis.
"As of this morning, the Berlin police have been informed of four other cases in which similar symptoms have occurred. The further investigations of the criminal police are ongoing."
