Two cases of “wild bites” have been reported to the organizers of Belgian Pride in Brussels. A man and a woman say they were victims, during the parade on Saturday, of this new phenomenon called “needle spiking”. “It probably happened at Mont des Arts, there was a lot of people there, but maybe also in other places in the city,” said Xavier Wyns, spokesperson for Belgian Pride.
“It is not yet determined whether the facts took place during the day or during the evening. We emphasize that this is a phenomenon that is emerging in Europe, at parties, discos and now also at football matches. We want to educate the public in the best possible way.”
Via social networks, Belgian Pride calls on anyone who has been the victim of a sting to go to the hospital for an analysis, then to file a complaint with the police and inform the organization.
It should be noted that the Brussels police also called on the people concerned to go to the hospital and then file a complaint.
The rumor phenomenon?
Like La Libre explained it recently, we evoke, in the case of “needle spiking”, a possible new date rape drug. But the conditional remains rigorous. Complaints have flourished on social networks without reaching the prosecutor’s office so far.
In the absence of tangible, concrete and precise elements, “this suggests the phenomenon of rumor, advanced Olivier Luminetprofessor of psychology at UCLouvain. At the moment there is an anxiety-provoking climate. People are coming out of two years of Covid, they are a bit on the alert, facing multiple worries regarding the war, the cost of living…”