Salzburg nightlife: “Sexual assaults are rarely reported”
The Frauennotruf Salzburg speaks of 14 known victims of knockout drops in Salzburg in 2022. These cases rarely end up with the police, even when they are followed by sexual assault. Victims would often mistakenly look for the fault in themselves, according to the police.
SALZBURG. On the night of May 25-26, 2022* a 20-year-old woman from Lower Austria and a 22-year-old woman from Flachgau were out and about together in the city of Salzburg – first at a student party and then in a few bars, where they also consumed alcohol. On the way home, the woman from Flachgau got a strange feeling, which she described as “spongy”. Her friend had similar symptoms. They went to the hospital, where their suspicion that knockout drops had been administered to them was confirmed. There was no evidence of another crime (e.g. sexual assault). An investigation was conducted into assault in connection with the provision of knockout drops.
* Press release from the Salzburg police from May 27, 2022 entitled: “Administering knockout drops”
Few cases, few ads
This case from May is not an isolated case in Salzburg, but still one of the few that are reported. The police cannot give concrete figures from Salzburg’s nightlife, because: “Regardless of whether they are named or not, a large number of sexual assaults are not reported to the police,” says Martin Kaltenegger from the Salzburg State Criminal Police Office, Crime Prevention Department. “Victims often find it difficult to file a complaint. Many mistakenly blame themselves or are unsure whether the act was actually a sexual assault.”
Martin Kaltenegger was a guest in the RegionalMedien Salzburg podcast on the subject of “Violence against women”. You can listen HERE:
“This is the police speaking, please open”
Half of the women interviewed have been sexually harassed
The “Celebrate without falling over” campaign by the Salzburg Women’s Emergency Call Center and the State of Salzburg draws attention to knock-out drops and sexual assaults in Salzburg’s nightlife. That is necessary because the Youth Report 2022 showed questionable numbers, says Provincial Councilor Andrea Klambauer (Neos): “The Salzburg Youth Report showed that half of all girls and women surveyed between the ages of 18 and 20 had already been sexually molested.”
Have you ever been sexually harassed while partying?
Don’t leave friends and strangers alone
For Kaltenegger, the most important point in connection with knockout drops is civil courage: “If friends or strangers are feeling bad, don’t leave them alone, bring them home, call the ambulance or the police.”
Here are some more crime prevention tips:
Basically gold plated:
- Friends look out for each other. “If we leave together, we’ll go home together.”
- When my girlfriend or boyfriend gets sick or nauseous, I don’t laugh at it, I take care of him or her and offer help.
Here’s how you can protect yourself from KO drops:
- Do not accept open drinks from strangers.
- Don’t leave your drink unattended.
- Listen to your gut feeling.
- If your drink looks, tastes, or smells “weird,” order a new one.
If you suddenly feel nauseous and dizzy:
- React quickly
- Tell your friends or trusted bar staff
- Get medical help immediately
- Inform the doctor of your suspicion and have blood and urine samples taken, because knockout drops can only be detected in the body for a few hours.
- If you have been the victim of a knockout drop attack, report it to the nearest police station.
You might also be interested in this:
Prevent cases of knockout drops in Salzburg’s nightlife
“Rape is not a sexual act, it is an act of violence”
Uncomplicated help for women & girls in the Ginhouse