Each month, more than ten women of all ages and backgrounds contact our Adoption Center with
same experience -- they have been victims of a date rape drug and are now pregnant. Most of time, these women do not know who biological father is. Rohypnol is becoming drug of choice for would-be rapists. Most predators target unsuspecting victims by slipping these illicit drugs into beverages at parties, bars, nightclubs, and dances. Rape drugs have power to make one drink feel like six or more. Laura, a sophomore from Florida, was one such woman who called our center. Laura attended a private party off campus. She thinks that she was probably dancing when perpetrator laced her beer. She only had one drink and started feeling sick; then her memory became foggy.
“I started feeling drowsy, really dizzy and confused about where I was. I went to party alone, which was my first mistake.”
Laura has no memory of what happened for next eight hours. She woke up half-naked in a back room of club with bruises on her thighs. She suspected that someone may have had sex with her, but couldn’t remember any details. She was hung over for days afterward.
Laura blocked whole incident from her mind and allowed a numbness to take over. Her grades fell, and she found her mind wandering in class. Six weeks later, she discovered that she was pregnant. Laura dropped out of college to have baby and chose to have him adopted by a childless couple through our adoption center. “I needed to do something positive, and it wasn’t child’s fault,” Laura said.
According to U.S. Department of Justice, “Date Rape” is one of fastest-growing drug-facilitated sexual assault crimes in America today. A recent large study found that one in four college women reported being victim of rape or attempted rape, and 84% of their assailants were boyfriends or acquaintances. Most victims remember nothing of incident except feeling of being violated. The same study found that one in four college men admitted to having used sexual aggression with women, and one in twelve admitted committing a sexual assault of some kind.
GHB, one of most popular date-rape drugs, is sometimes added to punch or other open container drinks at fraternity parties, college functions and social gatherings. It is often given to female party goers in hopes of lowering their inhibitions and facilitating a potential sexual conquest for assailant.
The victims of this crime who contact our center are of all backgrounds and ages. Many are still in some shock over being pregnant and have little to share about “father” of their child.
