So far no evidence of needle spiking in Netherlands

So far, the police have found no evidence that anyone has been drugged with a needle while partying in the Netherlands, a police spokesperson said to NU.nl.

The police investigated about 30 possible cases of needle spiking. “In no case has it been shown that a substance has actually been injected,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the police couldn’t say that needle spiking does not occur. Just because there’s no evidence yet does not mean that it never happened.

The Trimbos Institute pointed out last month that people feeling unwell while partying can also have other reasons than a drugging, like alcohol, stress, or fatigue. The Institute stressed that it does not want to dismiss needle spiking. “People don’t have to worry that this will happen on a very large scale, but it can, of course, happen. Then it remains important to take your feelings seriously and report it.”

The most recent possible case of needle spiking happened at the dance festival The Hague Outdoor in the Zuiderpark on Saturday. The police arrested a 31-year-old man for this incident. He is still in custody and will be arraigned on charges of aggravated assault on Wednesday. A police spokesperson could not tell ANP on Monday whether this meant they had presented enough evidence to prosecutors that needle spiking took place.

In May, six people said they were stabbed with a needle in Kaatsheuvel, with one woman becoming unwell. There were also reports of needle spiking in Amsterdam, Alkmaar, and Venlo.