COQUITLAM – In reaction to a number of date-rape cases recently reported by the Vancouver Police Department, B.C. Canadian Alliance MP James Moore is renewing his plea to Justice Minister Martin Cauchon to classify date-rape drugs as weapons in the criminal code and to establish new national guidelines in the collection and documentation of evidence in sexual assault investigations.

“Action on date-rape drugs has been long overdue by the federal government.  Date-rape drugs shouldn’t be treated the same way in the criminal code as heroin or cocaine because they are used to victimize other people, involuntarily,” says Moore.  “This is not reflected in law, and it needs to be.

According to the Vancouver Police Department there have been 14 reported cases of date-rape drugs being slipped into drinks at bars and nightclubs in the past 11 days, and over 30 such cases reported since May.  Last Tuesday night in south Vancouver a female victim was found unconscious in an industrialized area and it is suspected that she was sexually assaulted while unconscious. 

Virtually undetectable; date-rape drugs are tasteless, odourless and colourless.  They’re slipped into drinks and food and act rapidly, rendering the victim unconscious and unresponsive with little or no memory of what happens while the drug is active in their system.  Victims are often unaware they have even been sexually assaulted or raped, with little memory of their attacker.  Worse, all traces of the drug can leave the body within 72 hours of ingestion and are not found in any routine toxicology screen or blood test. 

On June 10^th, Moore tabled a Private Members’ Bill (M-458) in the House of Commons calling for date-rape drugs to be classified as weapons under the criminal code, to create national initiative to educate women on the dangers of date rape drugs, and to establish guidelines for the collection and documentation of evidence in sexual assault investigations.   

Concluded Moore: “For too long nothing has been done to combat date-rape drugs.  One can only hope that the recent rash of date-rape offenses will serve as a wake up call for the federal government and mobilize them to act aggressively against this cowardly criminal activity.” 

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  For more information call: James Moore, MP - 604.937.5650