explainer

After a night out, Zara woke to an "agonising pain" in her leg and no memory of the night before.

Two weeks ago, Zara Owen (not pictured) woke up in her bed with "sharp agonising pain" in her leg and no memory of the night before.

The 19-year-old University of Nottingham student had been out with friends at a nightclub in Nottingham, England when she believes she was spiked with a needle. 

"I had less than I usually have to drink if I were on a night out and I ate beforehand," Zara wrote in a post on Facebook, and later shared on Twitter.

"I remember going in, through a metal detector and going to the bar. And that’s where my memory fails me." 

That night, she texted her friend "insisting I was sober but according to him I didn't make sense". Her housemate ended up ordering her an Uber home.

"I woke up the next morning in my bed with almost zero recollection from that night."

"I woke up fine, no hangover or anything but a sharp agonising pain in my leg... I had to go to campus and I realised I had a massive limp. If my memory was there I would’ve neglected this but this is a thing that never, ever happens to me and it really confused me." 

A petition calling for a legal requirement for nightclubs to search guests on entry has also garnered over 160,000 responses online. 

Feature Image: TikTok @isabelladortax.

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Top Comments

pelangidejong 3 years ago
I just listened to the podcast with this issue and I agree with Holly and Jessie to not talk about it too much and make young women fearful, having this in your head as well as other things when you want to have fun will cause anxiety. I’ve been independent for all my adulthood and you just keep your head up so you can do what you want instead of pretending to be on the phone and clutching onto your keys.

kittyb 3 years ago 1 upvotes
Wow this is horrific, and don't even get me started about hygiene here - my mind boggles at the thought