The catering industry in Vlaardingen is alert after a number of women became unwell during the past three weekends. It is suspected that they drank a drink in which something was secretly thrown.
Thom van Vugt witnessed such an incident last weekend. A friend of his became unwell in a bar after leaving her drink for a while. She spent the night in the hospital and hadn’t been fit for the past few days. “It was very intense to experience that live,” says Van Vugt at the regional channel Rijnmond† “She just fell off the barstool, knocked out.”
The problems started immediately after the catering industry reopened after a long lockdown. The first two weekends, according to the police, “five to seven women” became unwell. No figures are available for the past weekend, but again a number of female catering visitors complained about dizziness and unwellness.
Unacceptable that it happened
“People enjoy going to restaurants or pubs again. But the incidents that we have now experienced are not part of that. We take them very seriously,” responds Mayor Bert Wijbenga. “We are investigating whether we can find out what, where and how – but that it happened is unacceptable. We have asked the police to fully investigate the perpetrators.”
Senna Mekern works in a catering facility in Vlaardingen. “To my knowledge it has not happened here, but that something like this can happen in your case is very unfortunate,” she says. “It also happens because you can sometimes be inattentive. It’s not that it’s your own fault, but if you leave your drink somewhere it happened.”
Search well
In the case where Mekern works, there is a doorman standing and being searched. “We also have a big bar and a lot of staff. We really try to keep an eye on it, because it’s been happening for three weeks in a row now. The doormen have to search everyone well, without exception. Also the people who come every week can be the culprit. Better err on the side of caution.”
Van Vugt, also a member of the support council of the local political party ONS Vlaardingen, also argues for a body search – but also outside on the street, in the entertainment center. “On the one hand, that has to happen. On the other hand, there must also be more police around closing time and an hour after that.”
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