Date rape horror as 41 women say their amaretto shots were spiked before sexual assaults
Belgian authorities are investigating the rape and sexual assault of at least 41 women whose amaretto shots were spiked.
A trio of bar managers have been identified as prime suspects, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Officials believe the substances, including the common date rape drug ketamine, were mixed into the women’s drinks ahead of the horrifying attacks.
Investigators believe the three main suspects, who run the establishments where the spiking took place in the northwestern city of Courtrai, discussed the assaults with each other.
Griet De Prest, a spokesman for the Western Flanders public prosecutor’s office, said: ‘There are already 41 victims identified for the period between December 2021 to December 2024, and the investigation continues to potentially identify others.’
De Prest also said one of the main suspects has been arrested.
A second is due to appear in front of a judge on Thursday, while a third was released after a series of arrests on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The men are suspected of rape, sexual assault and illegal administration of harmful substances, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Belgian authorities are investigating the rape and sexual assault of at least 41 women whose amaretto shots were spiked (stock image)
Quizzed by lawmakers, Belgium’s interior minister Bernard Quintin (pictured) slammed the attacks as ‘unacceptable’ and criticised how easy it was to get a hold of ketamine
A trio of bar managers have been identified as prime suspects, prosecutors said on Thursday (stock image)
‘The young women were offered shots of alcohol, often with an amaretto flavour, after which they woke up the next morning groggy in an unknown bed or in their own bed with clear evidence of sexual abuse,’ Tom Janssens, another spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, told Flemish public television VRT.
Quizzed by lawmakers, Belgium’s interior minister Bernard Quintin slammed the attacks as ‘unacceptable’ and criticised how easy it was to get a hold of ketamine.
‘If the drug can be obtained easily and cheaply, it becomes easier to commit crimes,’ the minister added.
‘Women must be able to go out safely, wherever they want, whenever they want,’ he said.