Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the effective prosecution of people who commit spiking.

Administering a substance to a person without their consent – commonly known as ‘spiking’ – is a serious criminal offence. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to prosecuting spiking cases effectively where they are referred to us by the police. We have seen a 40% increase in the number of spiking related offences the CPS have charged between 2022/23 to 2024/25.

The CPS has undertaken work to improve prosecutions for violence against women and girls (VAWG), which can include spiking. Through initiatives such as the National Operating Model for Adult Rape and the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing, the CPS is embedding a suspect-focused approach to VAWG offending. This means that prosecutors examine the behaviour and actions of the suspect before, during, and after the alleged assault. Spiking may form part of a wider pattern of predatory behaviour, and identifying this is key to building a strong prosecution case.

The CPS is also promoting closer collaboration between prosecutors and police to ensure that key aspects of the evidence-gathering process – such as a forensic strategy – are agreed at an early stage in the investigation.

This Government is proposing to introduce an updated offence of spiking through the Crime and Policing Bill. This would streamline the legislative framework – which is currently spread across several provisions in the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 – and support prosecutors in identifying the most appropriate charge.

We recognise spiking is an under-reported crime, and strongly encourage anyone who has been a victim of this offence to report it to the police.