Content warning: This message concerns spiking and, as such, contains references that some students may find distressing
Content warning: This message concerns spiking and, as such, contains references that some students may find distressing.
We are deeply concerned about the recent media reports of drink spiking occurring on nights out across the UK, including here in London. Your safety and wellbeing is our priority, and we take matters such as these extremely seriously.
We strongly condemn drink spiking. Spiking is illegal, unacceptable and has no place in our society. The responsibility always rests solely with perpetrators – victims are never at fault. We stand in solidarity with and support anyone who has been impacted by drink spiking, or by any form of sexual and gender-based violence.
We want to ensure that students feel safe on nights out in our spaces and elsewhere. We are working to identify further actions we can take to make our venues more secure and to challenge unacceptable behaviours. Anyone found to be spiking a drink in our venues will face immediate action from the Students’ Union and will be reported to the police.
We have heard from many of our Part-Time Officers, Societies and Sports Clubs who we stand with in condemning these behaviours. We want to thank everyone who has contacted us to share feedback and suggestions. We will be meeting with student leaders on Monday to listen to student concerns, discuss the measures we currently have in place in our venues and consider how we can action the suggestions made by students. We will also consider how we can support the nationwide boycott as part of the ‘Girls Night In’ campaign for better safety provision on nights out.
Following this meeting, we will release further information next week on how we will be working to address spiking and ensure student safety in our spaces, and how we will tackle these issues going forwards. We’ll also be releasing further information about how you can also get involved to have your voice heard, raise awareness, show solidarity and help to make change.
If you would like to get in touch with us about these issues, we have also set up an online form to raise any concerns, feedback or suggestions you may have about our work. You can access the form here.
We want to reiterate the support available to any student who has been affected by drink spiking. Any reports we receive will be taken extremely seriously.
- Reporting in Students’ Union venues: If you would like to report something that you experience or witness in one of our venues, you can report to a member of staff who will escalate this to a supervisor. Our supervisors receive training from the Good Night Out campaign on how to respond to reports.
- Report and Support: The University’s platform for reporting and accessing support for all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, harassment and hate crime. The platform also contains information about different forms of violence and external organisations and helplines.
- Advice and Counselling Service: Confidential, professional advice and counselling support. Students can contact the service directly or request to speak to a Welfare Adviser through Report and Support.
- Any cases of drink spiking can be reported to the police. If your safety, or that of others, is at immediate risk, please call the emergency services on 999. University security can be contacted in an emergency on 020 7882 3333.
Adi, Rob, Muneer, Saynab, Radhika & Bilge
Your Executive Officers, 2021/22