GOVERNMENT Minister Mims Davies said it is time to “stand up for victims” of drink spiking following the release of a government report.

The Conservative MP for Mid Sussex, said she “greatly welcomes” the report by the Home Affairs Committee into the impact of spiking on victims across the country.

It comes after Ms Davies revealed she has had a drink spiked on two occasions and urged women who have been spiked to report it.

The Argus: Not enough is being done to support spiking victims and it will remain an “invisible crime” unless action is taken to improve awareness, according to a report by the Home Affairs Committee.Not enough is being done to support spiking victims and it will remain an “invisible crime” unless action is taken to improve awareness, according to a report by the Home Affairs Committee.

She said: “Having been a victim of spiking myself, and knowing how embarrassed I felt, I can very much relate to the reluctance of those impacted to come forward and report this.

“The confusion is the worst thing and the feeling that you may not be taken seriously so I am pleased sharing my experience has helped others to also come forward.”

Evidence suggests the practice is "widespread and dangerous”, but MPs found insufficient data on prevalence, location, method, perpetrators and their motivations, which is acting as a barrier to policing.

The inquiry, which was conducted in December and January, found that of the 1,895 spiking victims who responded to questionnaire, nine in ten said they received no support after an incident.

The inquiry was launched after a sudden increase in reported spiking incidents last October.

A freedom of information request put in by The Argus revealed that 108 crimes were recorded between January 1 to October 31, 2021, by Sussex Police.

The offence of drink spiking does not have a specific crime code but the Home Secretary has confirmed the home Office is looking at how best to prepare a specific criminal offence.

Ms Davies said: “The Home Office is already investigating what a specific criminal offence would look like and they have reached out to the National Police Chiefs’ Council to urgently and properly review the extent and scale of the issue.

“Now is the time we can all be part of this vital process and stand up for victims. I was taken aback by the amount of people who have contacted me about their personal experience and their family’s experiences from across the country.”