“HOW many more unconscious girls is it going to take before this is taken seriously?”

These are the words of a Southampton spiking victim who is calling on venues to take tougher measures to tackle violence and sex crimes against women.

The 22-year-old woman, who is not being named, has told of her experience during nights out across Southampton, and said that “every woman has a bad story” from a pub, bar or club.

She told the Daily Echo: “I have had plenty [of bad experiences] as unfortunately so have the majority of girls now.

“I was spiked last week in a pub, which I had considered to be a safe place.

“I’ve also had to witness some of my friends leave in ambulances, when they just came out to have some fun and a dance.”

She is calling on all pubs, clubs and bars across the city to bring in the use of bottle and cup covers to prevent people from being spiked, as well as allowing people to take drinks into smoking areas.

In many clubs, you are not allowed to take your drink into an outside area and are told to leave it on a table near the door along with dozens of other cups and bottles, she said.

“This needs to change as we can’t keep an eye on our drinks if we’re unable to bring them with us,” she said, adding: “There are so many safety precautions as women we are told to take: keep our phone charged, stick to a group, don’t walk across the park, don’t go to the bathroom alone.

“However, instead of holding us responsible, I believe venue holders need to start doing their part in ensuring our safety.

“Spikings aren’t our only worry, sexual assault is on the rise. Every women I know has a bad story in a nightclub, or pub. This needs to change - even the simplest of changes would make a world of difference.”

She wants more CCTV, clear plastic cups and bottle covers at venues.

As well as this, she is asking for clubs to stop using black cups and instead opt for clear cups so that people can see what is in them, or if the liquid changes in appearance.

Her calls come after a Southampton charity said the city has the second highest number of sexual offences reported in England, and has experienced a 240 per cent increase in recorded sexual offences over the past five years.

The figure has been worked out following a 91 per cent increase in referrals to the victim support charity Yellow Door since lockdown began.

A spokesperson from the charity told the Daily Echo: “We can all always do more to protect people from sexual assault and abuse, but we believe the real key lies in prevention and education.

“Yellow Door’s STAR project delivers relationships and sex education in all Southampton’s secondary schools, supporting young people to understand consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships.

“Our goal is to give young people the tools and understanding they need to stay safe, and build respectful relationships, however fleeting, now and in the future.

“As a 13 year-old wisely commented in a STAR session: ‘If you don’t have the capacity to make a decision, you aren’t able to give consent’.”

  • If you have been affected by an unwanted sexual experience, contact Yellow Door for support on the website at yellowdoor.org.uk or by phone on 02380 636312.