<p>At least nine women were given a date-rape drug at an invite-only event attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and MPs, his Social Democratic Party (SPD) said Saturday.</p>.<p>SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil said he was "shocked" at the news.</p>.<p>"It makes me angry such a thing could happen at an event organised by the SPD," he told the Die Welt daily.</p>.<p>He added that he hoped those responsible would be detained and investigated.</p>.<p>"There's quite a lot of emotion," a spokesperson for the SPD's parliamentary group told AFP, confirming a report in the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel.</p>.<p>Berlin police said officers were investigating allegations of serious bodily injuries after a 21-year-old woman filed a complaint following "a political party's summer party".</p>.<p>She went for hospital tests the following day, having only consumed food and non-alcoholic drinks at the event.</p>.<p>"I advise all those concerned to file a complaint," SPD's Katja Mast said on Twitter.</p>.<p>The spokesperson did not rule out further cases adding to the nine already declared, according to the party.</p>.<p>The SPD sent out an email to all those invited to the event on Wednesday night condemning a "monstrous act which we immediately declared to parliamentary police".</p>.<p>About 1,000 people joined the chancellor and MPs at the SPD's traditional summer bash ahead of the parliamentary recess.</p>.<p>"It was an internal event. You could only get in with an invitation," said the spokesperson.</p>.<p>"There's still a lot of uncertainty, the police are investigating."</p>.<p>In a statement, Berlin police said the woman who filed the complaint had no memory of the party the next day, prompting her to obtain a medical exam and file the complaint.</p>.<p>The woman told police she felt nauseous and dizzy during the event after consuming food and non-alcoholic beverages.</p>.<p>The police said they had been so far informed of four other cases.</p>.<p>Date-rape drugs are usually used to spike drinks or food and can leave victims confused and unable to defend themselves against assault.</p>.<p>For 2021, Berlin police reported 22 cases involving date-rape drugs, according to the <em>Berliner Zeitung</em> daily.</p>.<p>The true number is likely to be far higher, with victims often unable to recall exactly what happened or ashamed to make a complaint.</p>.<p>Also, with the Covid-19 pandemic, discotheques, nightclubs and party venues were closed for much of last year in the German capital.</p>
<p>At least nine women were given a date-rape drug at an invite-only event attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and MPs, his Social Democratic Party (SPD) said Saturday.</p>.<p>SPD co-leader Lars Klingbeil said he was "shocked" at the news.</p>.<p>"It makes me angry such a thing could happen at an event organised by the SPD," he told the Die Welt daily.</p>.<p>He added that he hoped those responsible would be detained and investigated.</p>.<p>"There's quite a lot of emotion," a spokesperson for the SPD's parliamentary group told AFP, confirming a report in the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel.</p>.<p>Berlin police said officers were investigating allegations of serious bodily injuries after a 21-year-old woman filed a complaint following "a political party's summer party".</p>.<p>She went for hospital tests the following day, having only consumed food and non-alcoholic drinks at the event.</p>.<p>"I advise all those concerned to file a complaint," SPD's Katja Mast said on Twitter.</p>.<p>The spokesperson did not rule out further cases adding to the nine already declared, according to the party.</p>.<p>The SPD sent out an email to all those invited to the event on Wednesday night condemning a "monstrous act which we immediately declared to parliamentary police".</p>.<p>About 1,000 people joined the chancellor and MPs at the SPD's traditional summer bash ahead of the parliamentary recess.</p>.<p>"It was an internal event. You could only get in with an invitation," said the spokesperson.</p>.<p>"There's still a lot of uncertainty, the police are investigating."</p>.<p>In a statement, Berlin police said the woman who filed the complaint had no memory of the party the next day, prompting her to obtain a medical exam and file the complaint.</p>.<p>The woman told police she felt nauseous and dizzy during the event after consuming food and non-alcoholic beverages.</p>.<p>The police said they had been so far informed of four other cases.</p>.<p>Date-rape drugs are usually used to spike drinks or food and can leave victims confused and unable to defend themselves against assault.</p>.<p>For 2021, Berlin police reported 22 cases involving date-rape drugs, according to the <em>Berliner Zeitung</em> daily.</p>.<p>The true number is likely to be far higher, with victims often unable to recall exactly what happened or ashamed to make a complaint.</p>.<p>Also, with the Covid-19 pandemic, discotheques, nightclubs and party venues were closed for much of last year in the German capital.</p>