Citation

Adamowicz P, Kala M. Przegl. Lek. 2005; 62(6): 572-575.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Toxicology, The Prof. Dr. J. Sehn Institute of Forensic Research, Krakow, Poland. padamowi@ies.krakow.pl

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Przeglad Lekarski)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16225127

Abstract

Since the beginnings of twenty-first century in Poland increasing number of reports about the drug-facilitated sexual assaults have been observed. Many drugs have been identified as so-called "date-rape drugs", because of their pharmacological properties, especially inducing amnesia. These drugs are used for the purpose of "drugging" unsuspected victims and than raping them. In a typical scenario, the perpetrator surreptitiously adds "date-rape drug" to the alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage of an unsuspecting person, who is subsequently sexually assaulted while under the influence of this substance. Many victims do not report the incident until several days after the event or even do not report it at all. They report the incident so late after the events because they often have problems with remember the course of incident. It causes that victim is not reliable witness for justice. Detection of "date-rape drugs" in biological fluids is unequivocal evidence of perpetration. Analysis of biological fluids collected from victims of rapes for presence of drugs was rare in Poland up to now. The aim of this study is to show the use of "date-rape drugs" in Poland. Materials for this study were from the routine casework elaborated at the Institute of Forensic Research in Krakow. APCI-LC-MS methods were applied for screening of biological fluids (blood and/or urine) for amphetamine and its 6 analogues, for 12 substances from benzodiazepine group and for quantification of the detected drugs. HPLC-DAD was used as a screening method for wide range of medicinal drugs, and NCI-GC-MS methods for determination of ketamine and tetrahydrocannabinols (delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, 9THC) and its metabolite (11-nor-carboxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THCCOOH). In 2000-2004, the biological fluids taken from 33 persons, both sexually assaulted or perpetrators were analysed. In 2000 and 2002 not any case of this type was registered, in 2001 only two cases were recorded. After 2003 significant increase in the number of these cases was observed. Eleven and twenty cases involving "date-rape drugs" were submitted to the Institute in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The most common substances detected in analysed materials were amphetamine (in concentrations ranged from 10 to 85 ng/ml) and 9THC (0.36-1.4 ng/ml). Alcohol (0.27-2.3% per hundred), MDMA (8-201 ng/ml), benzodiazepines (oxazepam, nordazepam, estazolam), propranolol and lidocaine were also found in blood and urine specimens.