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Woman allegedly drugged at Epicentre bar joins fight to modernize sex assault laws

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A woman who said her drink was spiked and she blacked out at a popular uptown Charlotte bar is supporting a new effort to prevent it from happening to others.

Leah McGuirk joined state lawmakers in Raleigh on Wednesday as they fought to modernize sexual assault laws.

[READ PDF: House Bill 393]

A new bill, sponsored by Rep. Chaz Beasley, clarifies several sexual assault laws, including making it illegal to drug someone's drink.

The changes come after victims came forward.

McGuirk said someone spiked her drink at Rooftop 210 at the Epicentre last May. Two weeks later, she reported it to police.

She told Channel 9 the drink caused her to shake uncontrollably and black out.

Months later, police said they hit a dead end in the investigation.

The same month McGuirk's drink was allegedly tampered with, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police investigated a second case of a woman being drugged at another Epicentre bar.

[ALSO READ: Police continue to investigate case of women being allegedly drugged at bars]

After that, a bill passed that changed the definition of mental incapacitation, adding language that includes drinks being drugged.

Last June, Eyewitness News interviewed McGuirk about the changes she wants to see.

“It's of paramount importance that everyone knows this is happening because awareness is protection,” she said.

The bill contains the following four sections:

  • Clarify definition for the term caretaker used in juvenile code
  • prohibit the knowing distribution of a beverage that contains any substance that could be injurious to a person's health
  • Amend the definition of the term "mentally incapacitated"
  • Modernizing language used in certain sex offenses

McGuirk contacted Beasley in 2018 and worked with his office to close the loophole that prevented her case from being investigated by CMPD. On June 13, 2018, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 768, which closed the loophole. Senate Bill 768 became law on June 22, 2018 when Governor Cooper signed it into law.

Sponsors of the bill -- including Beasley, a Democrat, and Catawba County Republican Jay Adams -- explained what it can do for victims in North Carolina.

McGuirk said, “This bill represents not only my voice but the voices of all drug-facilitated assault victims who for too long have remained silent due to shame. Thank you, Representatives Beasley, Adams, Adcock, and Boles for your collaboration. It is only through a spirit of bipartisan work that the collective good will continue to be upheld and promoted in North Carolina."

Beasley said in a statement, “This bill is a critical step forward in modernizing our sexual assault laws. I’m proud that we’ve created a bill that will make our laws better reflect current realities and provide survivors with better access to justice. I’m particularly grateful to those who have shared their stories – without them, this bill would not have been possible."

Adams said in a statement, “Many years ago a very close family friend’s daughter was a victim of the behavior this bill addresses. That personal experience was a strong motivator for me to support this legislation.”