SDLP Foyle MP Colum Eastwood has welcomed confirmation from the Home Office that officials are engaging with the Department of Justice on plans to introduce a standalone criminal offence of drink spiking.
Mr Eastwood asked Parliamentary Questions to the Home Secretary about the level of engagement with the Department of Justice given the staggering increase of reports of drink spiking over the last five years.
The SDLP MP has now written to the Justice Minister in Northern Ireland to encourage the Executive to back a legislative consent approach that would extend the new criminal offence to the North given the delays in introducing legislation to the Assembly.
Said the Foyle MP: “Drink spiking is a serious crime that has a long lasting impact on victims.
“It also contributes to the increasing patterns of violence against women and girls. It is important, therefore, that we act quickly and decisively to tackle spiking which has seen a fivefold increase in the last number of years.
“I have been pressing the Home Office to expedite new legislation which would make drink spiking a standalone criminal offence.
“The current application of antiquated laws to this matter doesn’t reflect the serious, complex crimes that now take place in towns and cities across the North.
“I was pleased to receive confirmation this month that the Home Office has been working with officials in the Department of Justice on the proposed new offence.
“I have written to the Justice Minister outlining my view that the Executive should make a early approach to the British Government to indicate that it would welcome a legislative consent motion to expand the geographical scope of the new law to include the North.
“This would save months of protracted negotiations, deliberations and avoid the seriously slow legislative programme that the Executive is failing to deliver on.
“We need to send a clear message to the perpetrators of this crime that they will be caught, prosecuted and face justice.
“And we need to fundamentally show women and girls that we can take action to make them safer.
“This is something we can and should collaborate on to get across the line as quickly as possible.”
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