Nightclub spiking: Police apology after victim waits five months for test result

A woman who had been injected with morphine in a nightclub waited five months for test results after reporting the attack to the police.

Becca Collins, 20, said she was spiked while on a night out in Maidstone, Kent, on 30 October 2021.

She only received the result at the end of March, when she followed up her report.

Kent Police has acknowledged the delay and said it intends to learn from the experience.

Ms Collins was attacked during a visit to a club.

"After 12 o'clock I don't remember any of the night," she said, "the next thing I remember is waking up in my brother's apartment the next morning.

"I felt really unwell, more than just a hangover.

"I thought this has to be more than just alcohol, and I went to have a bath and noticed the mark on my leg that would indicate a needle."

She reported the incident to Kent Police two days later.

Becca Collins discovered a needle mark on her thigh after a night out

After hearing nothing, she contacted officers in March and discovered the test results, which showed she had traces of morphine in her system, had been sent to the police on 18 January.

The results had not been passed on to her or to the officer investigating her case.

"Initially the police were helpful," she said, "they passed it over to their team in Tonbridge allocated to deal with spikings, but I think after they realised they wouldn't be able to put any evidence on someone they did give up on the case."

The force said it was not unusual for samples to take a number of months to be processed, adding they acknowledged there was some delay in notifying Ms Collins.

Kent Police said it would review the circumstances to identify any opportunities to learn and improve.

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