In Luxembourg: Cases of chemical submission have increased sharply

This crime has been at the heart of the news in recent weeks, during the Mazan rape trial. A man drugged his wife to feed her to other men. While all defendants were convicted, the case questioned chemical submission. Questions that also arise in Luxembourg, where CSV MP Ricardo Marques questioned several ministers on this subject.

“It is extremely difficult to prove the administration” of substances linked to chemical submission, because “they are only detectable for a few hours” and the evidence disappears quickly, explain in the preamble the Ministers of Justice, Gender Equality, Home Affairs and Health.

Furthermore, chemical submission is not recorded as such in police databases, because “it does not constitute an aggravating circumstance.” It is therefore difficult to get a precise idea of ​​the situation. However, the administration of certain substances “likely to seriously impair health” is also punishable by law, which makes it possible to find complaints. In total, 25 victims said something had been put in their drink, between 2021 and 2024.

If the number of cases is low in 2021, with two cases, it explodes in 2022 with a dozen cases reported. That year, a Halloween ball in Ell hit the headlines and several young girls felt bad. Cases of bites during a ball near Virton, in Belgium, and Nancy, in France, had also attracted attention. Since then, the number of cases has started to decline again (5 in 2023 and 6 in 2024).

The ministers also recall preventive actions against sexual and gender-based violence. Chemical submission was addressed in particular in 2023 during a police prevention campaign at the time of carnival. It is planned to bring the theme back this year. The police website also offers a page on the risks linked to GHB and “KO drops”, with preventive advice. Students are made aware of the problem from primary school and during secondary school.

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