BILL BANS DRUGGING WITHOUT CONSENT

SALEM - Prosecutors could have a new tool for seeking convictions in cases
where a rapist uses a drug to incapacitate the victim.

A legislative panel is working on a bill to crack down on use of so-called
date-rape drugs.

The measure, HB2353, makes it a crime to administer the odorless and
tasteless drugs without someone's consent.

Charges would be elevated if a person was drugged to facilitate rape,
kidnapping or assault.

Witnesses who testified Thursday before the House judiciary subcommittee on
criminal law supported the bill, saying it is often difficult to prove rape
in cases where a date-rape drug was used, because the victim's memory of the
assault is blurred by the effects of the drugs.

Not being able to remember the details of the assault can also be very
traumatic for victims, said Claudia Weber, who has worked with rape
survivors.

"I have seen firsthand how devastating these drugs can be. Very often
survivors have no memory or slight memories," she said.

"Flashbacks can be triggered by all sorts of things, even the rattling of
keys or someone's cologne, and they retraumatize the victim," she added.

The bill would allow prosecutors to pursue charges of drugging without
consent, "even if the sexual assault can't be proved," said Tom Lininger, a
member of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.

But even proving the drugging occurred can be difficult, he said, because
the drugs can only be detected in the victim's bloodstream for 24 hours
after ingestion.

In cases of drug-induced rape, the victim may be unconscious for part of
that time and then may not realize a rape occurred in time to be tested.

Rohypnol, also known as "roofies", GHB and Ketamine are the substances
targeted by the bill.

Rohypnol is a sedative 10 times more powerful than Valium.

GHB was first developed as an anesthetic, but is now used by body builders
to stimulate muscle growth.

The drug has also become popular for recreational use. Ketamine, also called
"Special K," is a veterinary anesthetic.

Medical personnel who must administer the drugs to patients are exempt from
the bill.