Police say date rape drug used
November 28, 2010
A 21-year-old woman was likely the victim of a date rape drug before she was abducted and sexually assaulted by an off-duty cabbie driving his taxi Friday night, police said.
Attempting to send their friend home safely from the Junction nightclub, a group of women put the woman into a Call-A-Cab taxi at about 12:40 a.m. Saturday, police said.
The woman was intoxicated and police believe she had her drink drugged at some point in the night.
Arrangements were made with the driver to send the woman home, but she never arrived, police said.
Instead, police said, the cab driver took the woman to his home and sexually assaulted her in what police said was an opportunistic crime.
"(The friends) thought they did the right thing in putting her in the cab and sending her home, however, the person who was driving the cab took advantage of the situation," Det. Sgt. Deb Gillis said. "Normally we don't see that. Normally it's whoever puts the drug in the drink will keep watch and is the one that will commit the sexual assault."
The woman woke up the next day in the cab driver's home having little memory of the evening's events, Gillis said.
"This victim remembers being at the bar and remembers drinking a drink and then she remembers getting up in the morning," Gillis said.
She left the driver's home and went to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre for an examination and blood tests, police said.
"She has no long-lasting physical injuries but she is dealing with the psychological effects," Gillis said.
The cab driver, Cameron Duncan, 46, of Gillespie Ave., was arrested Sunday and charged with abduction and sexual assault.
Duncan made a brief appearance in court Monday. He remains in custody while his case was put over to Tuesday for a bail hearing.
Crown attorney Paul Murray said he would be fighting Duncan's bail release.
Police said Duncan had officially booked off duty shortly after 9 p.m. Friday but was still using his taxi.
Call-A-Cab owner Michael Connelly said he was shocked and dismayed to hear the allegations against his own driver.
"I'm deeply disturbed that this has happened," he said. "We have been in business for 60 some years and we have never had an incident like this."
Connelly fears it will put a black stain on the local taxi industry, businesses that he said are supposed to offer people safe rides home.
"It certainly hurts the industry. The whole system is meant to be a safe haven," he said.
Call-A-Cab does background checks regularly on their employees and prospective drivers must go through police security checks before obtaining a taxi licence, Connelly said.
Saturday's assault marks an alarming increase in the number of sexual assaults connected to date rape drugs, Gillis said.
It is the fifth incident in the past 15 months where police have charged a person with sexual assault when it is suspected a drug may have been used, police said.
In each case it has been a man accused of drugging a woman, either at a bar or house party, Gillis said.
There are other unsolved cases relating to date rape drugs such as GHB as well, she said.
Police believe another woman, who arrived home safely, was also drugged at the Junction Friday night.
"We are becoming alarmed at the increased frequency of these reports," Gillis said.
In most of the five previous cases the drug of choice was GHB, Gillis said, which cannot be seen or tasted in a victim's drink.
"You can't taste it or smell it... and you only need a capful," she said. "As soon as it is absorbed into your system, you lose any form of long-term memory so you have no recollection at all of what has happened."
Karen Basciano, public educa-tion co-ordinator at the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, said drug-induced sexual assaults are likely much more common than most people think but they often go unreported.
"This has been going on in Peterborough for at least five to seven years," she said. Women have to be their own watchdogs and keep an eye out for each other, she said.
When at a party or a bar, women need to be responsible for their drink at all times and not let those they don't know provide drinks for them, she said.
"I would only take a drink from my best close friend," she said. "Often times people are putting their safety in other's hands."
Gillis said there is always safety in numbers and women should have a buddy system when they go out in groups to ensure everyone gets home safely.
Junction owner Jim Kak-ouros said his staff receive training each year about the dangers of date rape drugs. His staff is always on the lookout for patrons who appear to be drugged, but he said it takes mere seconds to spike a drink, so it's difficult to prevent.
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