Sexual assaults facilitated by drugs or alcohol

Over the past 10 years, there has been a rise in the number of reports of drugs and alcohol being used to immobilise victims for the purpose of sexual assault. Population surveys carried out in six EU countries suggest that up to 20 % of women experience some form of sexual assault in their adult lifetime. A lack of appropriate monitoring systems means that the full scale of drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) remains unknown. Better monitoring of the phenomenon is an essential first step in addressing the problem.