Equipment for detecting sexual abuse drugs

An assistant professor of chemistry is developing a compact set of tests that women can use to detect drugs that rapists often use to anesthetize victims.

Rohypnol drug
(Photo: drugaware)

Andrea Holmes, who teaches at the University of Doane in Crete, says many young women in universities suffer from this drug.

Drugs, such as Rohypnol, are sneaked into the victim's drink, leaving the victim unable to remember. Those who are raped under the influence of this drug will not be able to remember the attacker.

Rohypnol and similar drugs will not be detected when the victim is treated and tested.

"A lot of women are sexually assaulted but cannot prove it later," Holmes said. "What we want is to help girls determine the presence of that drug before it enters the body."

She hoped to create a test strip that would change color when dipped in harmful medicine. In May, she and her colleagues reached an important milestone: they processed a chemical that changed from blue to colorless when Rohypnol was introduced.

Holmes wanted to continue researching to create a small, simple test kit that could fit into the wallet for girls to use.

MT