Berlin police are investigating claims by at least nine women who felt unwell after attending an invite-only event hosted by the parliamentary group of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) earlier this week.
The probe was initiated after a 21-year-old girl told police that she had no memory of the Wednesday party the next day, which prompted her to obtain a medical exam and file the complaint.
Local media has claimed that the women have likely fallen victim to the so-called date-rape drug or knockout drops. These substances are typically used by sexual predators at nightclubs or bars to spike drinks or food in order to leave their victims confused and unable to defend themselves against assault.
The Berlin incident was first reported by the local newspaper Tagesspiegel and later confirmed by a SPD parliamentary group spokesperson, who said that “there's quite a lot of emotion”.
“There's still a lot of uncertainty, the police are investigating,” the spokesperson added, while the SPD's Katja Mast said on Twitter that she advises “all those concerned to file a complaint”.
The SPD likewise sent out an email to all attendees of the Wednesday event condemning a “monstrous act which we immediately declared to parliamentary police”.
“It makes me angry such a thing could happen at an event organized by the SPD”, the party’s co-leader Lars Klingbeil told the Die Welt daily, voicing hope that the perpetrators would be finally tracked and brought to justice.