Violence against women and drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA): A review of the main drugs

Application of single hair analysis reveals multiple administration of a drug mixture in a case of drug‐facilitated sexual assault of a child

“…2,3 In sport, contaminated supplements can lead to adverse analytical findings, with complicated consequences for the athletes to justify their behaviour. 4,5 Although theoretically all doping agents can contaminate supplements, in most cases, anabolic steroids, stimulants, selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), clenbuterol or diuretics have been identified. [6][7][8][9] With respect to this last pharmacological class, hydrochlorothiazide 10,11 and furosemide 12,13 have been identified.…”

“…Surreptitious drug exposure or administration in drug‐facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA) or childcare are often underestimated and yet represent a major challenge in forensic toxicology 1–3 . The main analytical problems are the huge number of over 100 suitable substances and the very small possibility to detect them in blood or urine samples in cases of delayed sampling because of the very short half‐life of some analytes 4 . Offering retrospective analysis over a longer period, segmental hair analysis is a powerful and superior tool, especially in these cases 5,6 .…”

“…[1][2][3] The main analytical problems are the huge number of over 100 suitable substances and the very small possibility to detect them in blood or urine samples in cases of delayed sampling because of the very short half-life of some analytes. 4 Offering retrospective analysis over a longer period, segmental hair analysis is a powerful and superior tool, especially in these cases. 5,6 Assuming an average scalp hair growth rate of approximately 1 cm/month and using hair segments of around 0.5-1 cm, temporal resolution of several weeks to 1 month can be achieved using routine methods.…”

The Evolution Toward Designer Benzodiazepines in Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Cases

“…Systemic reviews ( 1 , 2 ) and country-based surveys ( 5–12 ) highlight the typical and less common drugs used for chemical submission purposes. Alcohol remains the most frequently detected substance in DFSA cases, either alone or in co-consumption with other drugs such as cannabis ( 5–7 ), cocaine ( 7–9 ) or benzodiazepines (BZDs) ( 5 , 7 , 9 , 13 ). BZDs (alone or in combination with ethanol) have been mentioned in all cited reports, while media-labeled “date rape drugs,” such as ketamine or γ-hydroxybutyric acid, are encountered to a lesser extent.…”

“…Moreover, some BZDs have a short half-life, leading to rapid metabolism and excretion. The trace concentrations and small time frame for detection of BZD in body fluids require the use of highly sensitive analysis methods to be able to detect the drugs and their metabolites ( 13 ). Moreover, DFSA crimes are typically characterized by delayed reporting of the event by the victim—or even no reporting at all, either due to the amnesic properties of the drugs or because of the associated shame, blame, fear or self-denial ( 2 ).…”