At least nine women are suspected to have been spiked with a date rape drug at an event hosted by the German chancellor’s political party.
Police are investigating after several female guests fell ill after going to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) summer gathering – attended by Olaf Scholz – earlier this week.
One young woman said she felt dizzy and unwell at the gathering, and woke up the next day unable to remember the evening.
The 21-year-old – who ate food and consumed non-alcoholic drinks at the event on Wednesday – has been tested for toxic substances. By Saturday morning, another four cases of guests reporting similar symptoms had emerged.
SDP members were reportedly told that some guests had been spiked with “knockout drops” – a drug in liquid form that can be mixed into drinks or food.
According to German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, SDP parliamentary leader Mathias Martin told colleagues in a letter: “At our summer party there were obviously attacks on colleagues with ‘knockout drops’. This is an outrageous event, which we immediately reported to the Bundestag police.”
Police said they were awaiting test results before coming to any conclusions.
Katja Mast, the SDP’s parliamentary chief whip, said the party was “appalled” by the incident and “will do everything in our power to clear it up”.
“I recommend everyone who is affected to report this,” she said.
The SDP co-leader, Lars Klingbeil, told Welt television he was “furious that something like this could happen at an event” organised by the party.
He said the parliamentary group’s leadership was cooperating with authorities, and that he hopes “the perpetrator or perpetrators can be caught and then brought to account”.
The party in question took place in the Tipi tent at the Chancellery, and was attended by more than 1,000 guests, according to German media.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
