Sir Keir Starmer pledges to make spiking a specific offence in crackdown on violence against women

SIR Keir Starmer today pledged to make spiking a specific criminal offence if Labour wins the next election.

And he vowed to make lessons on treating women and girls with respect part of the school curriculum.

The opposition chief said: “I saw first-hand as Director of Public Prosecutions that victims are let down when the law doesn’t keep up with evolving crime.

"My government will recognise the reality of dangerous new crimes being perpetrated against, more often than not, young women, and we will act."

Currently, the act of spiking is covered by a range of different offences.

But women's rights campaigners and MPs across the political spectrum have long called for the horrific act to be made a specific crime.

In the year leading to September 2022, nearly 5,000 drink and needle spiking incidents were reported to cops in England and Wales.

But shocking research shows just 3% of victims reported the insidious crime to police.

Sir Keir pledged to introduce an anonymous reporting system, so victims can come forward without feeling fear or shame.

Appearing on This Morning, the Labour boss added: "Drinks are spiked... usually of young women out and about and the spiking of the drink has an effect on them and is often a step towards sexual assault of some sort.

"And that has never been a specific offence, so what I'm saying today is an incoming Labour government would make it a specific offence."

He added: "That would make it easier for people to come forward and report what's happened and easier to prosecute but also raise awareness of what's going on."

Discussing teaching boys how to respect women from a young age, Sir Keir said: "I do think we need to do more at school with boys and young men, because this can't be left to women.

"It's got to be a boys and young men issue as well."

Dawn Dines, CEO and Founder of Stamp Out Spiking adds: ”I fully support the need to update or change the law to clearly show that the horrific act of Spiking is a recognised criminal offence.

"This will provide protection and hopefully some justice for past victims, but most importantly it will safeguard the public against the actions of the perpetrators."