MPs back bill targeting drink spiking

Drink spiking may soon become a criminal offence in the Czech Republic. The lower house on Thursday gave initial backing to a coalition bill aimed primarily at cases in which drugs are added to someone's drink. There has been a significant increase in such cases in recent years.

The bill would also cover adding drugs to food or administering them by injection. The draft will now be examined by the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee.

According to Sports Minister Boris Šťastný of the Motorists, the proposed new offence would close a gap in the law, as perpetrators can currently be punished only when subsequent offences such as rape or robbery can be proven.