[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 97 (Thursday, June 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7088-S7089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ROHYPNOL, THE DATE RAPE DRUG

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, as chairman of the Western Hemisphere 
subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee, I have recently come 
upon a very serious crisis beginning to develop in our country. As you 
know, we have been exceedingly interested in the drug epidemic for 
which this country is currently exposed, with drug use among our young 
teenagers virtually doubling in the last 36 months.
  But in the course of the inquiry and the hearings, we have come 
across a new drug called Rohypnol. This drug is now being characterized 
in the media as a date rape drug. I will share with the Senate some of 
the horrible and tragic effects of this new drug that has found its way 
increasingly into our country, particularly in our southern States, 
Florida, in Texas, but throughout the South.
  I quote, ``It is an ideal drug for predators to give women for the 
purpose of sexual assault.'' This is a quote from a former Los Angeles 
police officer who said, ``The victim is defenseless, and she doesn't 
have a memory of it when she comes to.''
  ``We've never come up with a pill that has these specific 
characteristics,'' Bob Nichols, Broward County, FL, prosecutor said. 
``I know of no other pill that erases your memory and takes effect in 
10 minutes.''

[[Page S7089]]

  Michael Scarce, director of the Rape Education and Prevention Program 
at Ohio State University, recently received a call from a rape crisis 
center in another State and recounted it to a Columbus, OH, newspaper. 
``An employee of the center informed me that they had had a long 
conversation with an OSU student who was looking for the drug over the 
Internet to use it for sexual purposes.''
  Mr. President, in a Washington, DC suburb, two men, ages 18 and 19, 
were charged with rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor 
after giving Rohypnol to two 15-year-old girls. The men slipped 
Rohypnol into the unsuspecting girls' sodas.
  One Broward County, FL, man who pleaded guilty to Rohypnol rape in a 
1993 case told authorities that he used this drug to rape as many as 20 
women.
  A 17-year-old Coral Springs girl was raped on January 7 while she was 
under the influence of Rohypnol, lost 10 hours between having dinner 
with friends and waking up in a strange hotel bed.
  An incident involving a 15-year-old from Cooper City, FL, that 
happened in June at a sweet-16 party at the Merrimac Hotel in Ft. 
Lauderdale. Police have charged two brothers and another gentleman with 
repeated rape in this case.
  The list of this type of incident goes on and on, and with increasing 
frequency across our country. An unsuspecting victim has somebody offer 
them a drink or a soda, slips one of these pills into the drink, and 
the person begins immediately, within 15 minutes, to lose control of 
their senses. Some are unable to walk, so the helping partner is 
helping this person, that seems to have too much to drink, to the car, 
takes the keys, looks at the license, goes to the person's apartment or 
home, obviously enters, and rape occurs.
  The problem is that the victim is unable to defend themselves, unable 
to even maintain a conscious memory of what transpired, and is unable 
to recall what took place. When you read these stories, one after the 
other, it raises a sense of alarm in any American that would hear of 
this situation.
  The typical abuser is age 15 to 22, white, and uses other substances 
such as marijuana and alcohol. The drug is a common fixture at raves, 
all-night dance parties frequented by the under-21 set.
  The drug is widely used in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, and 
Oklahoma. DEA officials also predict the use of the drug will spread 
and has already been found as far north as Maryland and as far west as 
California.
  The majority of this drug is coming from production in Mexico and 
Colombia and being smuggled into the country. The problem with it is 
that it is legally manufactured in other countries. So it is just 
poised to become yet another lethal target for coming into the United 
States and disrupting the lives of thousands upon thousands of 
Americans. And in a most tragic form because it is now being used as a 
lethal weapon. It is not just a matter of choice, a bad choice to use 
drugs, this is an innocent victim, this is a victim not necessarily 
involved in drugs, who is being victimized by a predator.
  As a result of these findings, Mr. President, we will hold a hearing 
on July 16 in the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee to further explore 
the vast and new growth of this violent drug that is being brought into 
the United States.
  Mr. President, later this afternoon I will introduce legislation that 
creates a new Federal cause of action to combat rapists and other 
felons who use Rohypnol or other illegal imported controlled substances 
as a weapon to exploit innocent victims.
  Under the bill, a criminal who administers Rohypnol against the will 
of another person in order to commit rape or other felonies would face 
stiff new prison sentences and fines. The measure will take a tough 
stand against this new threat which is growing as this drug is smuggled 
into our country from Mexico, Colombia and other Nations in our 
hemisphere.

  It will send a clear message to rapists and other predators that 
attempting to use this new drug as a weapon against innocent victims 
will not be tolerated in the United States. This new crime is necessary 
due to the unprecedented danger this new criminal tool poses to 
unsuspecting victims--Americans.
  We desperately need to deter this insidiously effective technique 
which both disables victims and wipes out their memories, making it 
almost impossible to mount evidence against these criminals.
  The bill is also needed so that as this drug is smuggled across our 
borders and spreads across new State lines, prosecutors in all parts of 
the Nation are given the tools to deter this scourge.
  The Federal prosecution of this offense would require consultation 
with State and local authorities having jurisdiction over the felonies.
  Mr. President, in conclusion, I say that the review of the cases 
involved with this Rohypnol drug conjure up the worst kind of tragedy 
that could befall a next door neighbor, a member of your family, a 
community or business. It is an ugly, ugly picture. When we look at the 
data of the increased usage and the potential for violence that this 
drug represents, I am hopeful this Congress will move swiftly and 
quickly to get our arms around any effort, any potential to restrain 
the use of this drug in our country and to protect our citizens.
  I think, also, Mr. President, in the effort, we are also in the 
business of educating unsuspected youth in our country of the vast 
danger. One of the other problems with this drug is, because of its 
manufacturer and packaging, it is thought to be semi-OK. It is not. It 
is deadly and painful.
  I hope others will join me in attempts to corral this horrible 
scourge being put upon the citizens of our country. I yield the floor.

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