Hundreds join global support group for survivors of drug-facilitated rape
Summary
Two women, Zoe Watts and Amanda Stanhope, who were drugged and raped by their partners while unconscious, have started a global support group for survivors of this crime. The National Crime Agency found a large international network involved in drug-facilitated sexual assaults and highlighted the need for better laws and support to stop and address this crime.Key Facts
- Zoe Watts and Amanda Stanhope were repeatedly drugged and raped by their partners while unconscious.
- Watts created a support network that has attracted hundreds of survivors worldwide, including about 80 in the UK.
- The National Crime Agency exposed an international network linked to drug-facilitated sexual assaults and found over 270 individuals connected to an online forum.
- Many online groups involved in this crime remain unknown to law enforcement.
- The campaign "End Eye Check" aims to stop men from sharing videos and images of assaults online; this term describes verifying a victim is unconscious by pulling back their eyelids.
- Watts’s husband is serving an 11-year prison sentence for rape and other crimes after drugging and assaulting her for over ten years.
- Stanhope’s partner killed himself before trial after being charged with multiple sexual offenses; she worries about the spread of videos online.
- Both women want medical professionals to recognize signs of drug-facilitated rape and call for better victim support and education for young people.
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