Japan records surge in drug-related date rape

Mar 07 (the-japan-news.com) - Date-rape assaults involving the illicit administration of drugs are on the increase.

In typical cases, a man invites women out to eat or drink, laces their drink with a soporific drug, then sexually abuses them while they are unconscious or unable to resist.

Some victims are unaware they have been assaulted due to the effects of the drug on the memory.

Police are urging people to get in touch if they suspect they may be a victim of this type of crime, as it is possible to detect drugs via hair analysis, among other methods, long after an incident has occurred.

According to the National Police Agency, police registered 60 cases of date rape involving sleep-inducing drugs in 2020.

Yet this number is suspected to be the tip of the iceberg, as some victims do not know they have been assaulted or are hesitant to file a police report due to having hazy memories of the event.

Drugs used for the purpose of sexual assault are known as date-rape drugs. Drinking alcohol can intensify the effects of such drugs and cause confusion. The drugs can also cause temporary amnesia.

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