CONFESSION BOX: Your daughter may have been drugged

I AM a single parent and my 18-year-old daughter is a wonderful child. She is caring, helpful and is doing well at school. She is doing her matric this year.

A week ago she went to her best friend's birthday party and came home very late. When she arrived home I thought she was drunk.

She looked a mess, she couldn't walk straight and then she passed out on her bed. I was so upset because this is most unlike her.

In the morning she felt very sick and could hardly move out of her bed.

When I asked her what she had drank and how she could behave like this, she said she could not remember anything about the night before but was sure she did not touch alcohol.

When I helped her to go to the toilet she noticed that her genitals were sore and that she had been bleeding.

Since this happened to her she has been very depressed and seems to have lost her love for life. I am so confused and I don't know what to do with her. Please help me.

Worried, Polokwane

There is a possibility that your daughter might have been slipped drugs in a drink and this would explain her behaviour when she returned from the party.

There is a drug that people can slip into a person's drink which causes them to lose control of their body and blackout. In this situation the victim is raped.

The first thing you need to do is take her to a doctor and explain what has happened to her as she may also need to be tested for pregnancy and possibly to see whether there is any trace of drugs in her body.

Ask the doctor to advise you on your choices. Once you have all the information you need to make a decision whether to report this to the police. I am sure that you both will need counselling, so I urge you to contact POWA on 011-642-4345.

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