Drug Facilitated Penetrative and Non-Penetrative Sexual Assault: A Review

Authors: Dewan E and Singh A*

DOI: 10.23880/ijfsc-16000239

Volume 6, Issue 3

Abstract

Drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is an offense in which victims are subject to unwanted sexual activity while they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and are therefore not able to resist the assault, or we can say a sexual activity in which consent is invalid or absent because the victim is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Some common date rape drugs are Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine, but it is observed that alcohol was more prevalent in cases of drug-facilitated sexual assault in contrast to other date rape drugs. The major problem in DFSA cases is underreporting of the incidence due to amnesia. The victim has difficulty recalling what happened, and sometimes they are reluctant to report due to voluntary drug use or family pressure, or fear of society. Most of the instance’s cases are written later, which hinders the analysis, especially when rapidly metabolizing drugs are used. In case of the absence of injuries, the chances of misdiagnosis increase. There is a need to create a safe space where victims can reach and open up about their problems to get much-needed emotional and mental support. This paper reviews how prevalent are drug-facilitated sexual assault cases throughout the world, how to treat the post-assault symptoms, and what all new techniques have been researched to detect drugs.

Keywords: DFSA; PTSD; Drugs; Alcohol

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