Consideraciones toxicológicas sobre supuestos casos de sumisión química en delitos de índole sexual en el sur de España entre los años 2010-2012

Abstract

IntroductionDrug facilitated crime consists in incapacitating victims of rape or robbery by administering different chemical substances. Forensic evidence of this type of crime implies an important challenge for the forensic toxicologist. Although different guidelines with the objective of harmonizing existing procedures have been published, there is a general lack of data that could reflect the actual situation in different countries. Material and methodsWe present here the results obtained in cases of alleged sexual assault received at the Department of Seville of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences between 2010 and 2012, in which a possible drug facilitated sexual assault was suspected. A toxicological investigation designed to determine blood alcohol concentration and to establish the presence of psychoactive substances and drugs of abuse was performed. Semen presence was also determined. ResultsMore than half of the 73 studied cases yielded negative results. From the received information and obtained results we could only classify 3 of the cases as a drug facilitated sexual assault. ConclusionsObtained results are similar to those previously published, although the assessment of the current status of alleged cases of drug facilitated sexual assault depends on the development and implementation of appropriate protocols.