Chapter 13 - Investigating Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault

Abstract

This chapter discusses various aspects of investigation of drug-facilitated sexual assault. Drug-facilitated date or acquaintance rapes differ from other cases of rape or sexual assault in many ways. The differences can be categorized under four major headings which include use and effects of a variety of drugs and alcohol, victim participation, perpetrator motives and behavior, and social context. Investigators should be aware that the inability of the victim to recall much if anything of what actually occurred, or even to identify who may have assaulted her, is particularly common when drugs with a rapid onset such as Rohypnol or scopolamine are involved. The larger social context in which drug-facilitated acquaintance rape occurs also plays a role in cases of false accusations. It is suggested that when a case of alleged drug-facilitated rape is reported to the police, the investigation should focus on determining if sexual acts that meet the legal definition of rape, attempted rape, or other types of sexual assaults actually occurred.