Thousands of British girls poured into the squares, claiming the right to go out freely in the evening without having to fear for their own safety. In recent weeks, the UK has witnessed almost helplessly an increase in cases of spiking, or the practice of drugging glasses in crowded clubs or clubs, and a new specular but more alarming phenomenon, as never before recorded in the country: the needle. -spiking, the injection of substances to victims through syringes. In both cases, it seems that the privileged target are young female students and that the increase is due to the gradual return of young people to the academic life in the presence and to the nightlife of university centers.
Until last week, the police had begun investigations, starting from the hundreds of complaints received, but had not yet managed to frame the phenomenon. Several thousand female students in around 40 university cities in Great Britain – such as Bristol, Birmingham and Nottingham – and have therefore decided to publicly protest, boycotting discos, nightclubs and some pubs open at night that have not yet taken the necessary measures to ensure the their safety. Among the requests, that of introducing controls at the entrance or limiting access to students only in the university premises. The petition launched in this regard has currently reached over 170,000 signatures.
Nationwide, police have recorded at least 198 cases of alcohol spiking and around 56 needle use in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from September to October. Although the latter are still small in number, they are more difficult to trace. The syringes, stuck in the legs or back, release substances that stun victims as they dance in crowded clubs. Often, girls feel nothing more than a pinch, only to pass out within minutes. The still substantial difference between the two phenomena, however, is that while the case of spiking is directly linked to rape and abuse, no other crime, including sexual assault, followed the injection complaints. This makes it even more difficult to clearly define its contours and motive.
With a return to post-lockdown normalcy, girls are still not free to fully regain possession of their social life. But neither the authorities nor the locals have yet managed to take adequate measures to stem the problem. So the girls of the “Girl’s Night In” association organized the demonstration, which involved thousands of boys from all over the country. Many UK clubs decided to close yesterday evening as a sign of solidarity.
“Hundreds of young people gathered in St Peter’s Square in Manchester for the Stop Spiking Now protest. Banners that read: “I have never felt safe” and “Educate your children” »wrote a journalist from the Guardian on Twitter.
“Ready to protest, my queens are not silent, hoping that one day the women will not be terrified of going out and that the severity of the injections and drugs will be addressed by the authorities” writes a protester, showing the placard prepared for the occasion: “Educate your child.”