An unusual case of drug-facilitated sexual assault using aromatic solvents.
This report documents a case of drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) under the influence of solvents. The victim was a 13-year-old female. Upon contact with law enforcement, she was still confused and could hardly explain the facts. She told authorities that she had been kidnapped 4 h previously when two individuals with covered faces put a cloth soaked in a solvent over her mouth. She spent a few hours in a room, during which she lost consciousness. The girl awakened semi-nude in the street with memory loss. No alcohol was present in the subject's body; no odor of alcohol was detected on the subject's breath. No lesions were observed during a gynecological exam. A blood sample was taken with the intent to investigate the use of chloroform or similar anesthetics. Toxicological analysis of the victim's blood revealed the presence of 7.6 mg/L of benzene, 24.8 mg/L of toluene, and 0.6 mg/L of xylene (mixture of isomers). As for other analytical findings, diazepam (0.02 mg/L) was also found. The aromatic solvents involved in this case were detected using gas chromatography with flame-ionization detection (GC-FID) and confirmed using GC-mass spectrometry (MS) in full scan mode after liquid-liquid extraction of the whole blood sample. Quantitation of the aromatic solvents was carried out using GC-FID. Diazepam was detected using GC with nitrogen-phosphorus detection (NPD) and confirmed using GC-MS with full scan mode after solid-phase extraction of the whole blood sample using Bond-Elut Certify columns. Quantitation of diazepam was carried out using GC-NPD. No other drugs, including ethanol, were detected. Recoveries for benzene, toluene, and xylene (mixture of isomers) in whole blood at 5 mg/L were 89.2%, 90.8%, and 93.4%, respectively. Intraday precisions were 5.3%, 5.0%, and 4.9%, respectively, and interday precisions were 12.1%, 11.6%, and 11.5%, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) were 30 and 100 microg/L, respectively. The linearity of the blood calibration curves was excellent with r(2) values of > 0.999 (range 0.1-10 mg/L). Recovery for diazepam in whole blood at 0.5 mg/L was 88.2% with intraday and interday precisions of 2.0% and 10.8%, respectively. The LOD and LOQ were 6 and 20 microg/L, respectively. The linearity of the blood calibration curve was excellent with r(2) values of > 0.999 (range 0.1-2 mg/L). We want to alert other toxicologists about new or unexpected products that should be taken into account when the surreptitious use of substances in DFSA is suspected.
Martínez
María A
MA
Chemistry Department, National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Ministry of Justice, C/Luis Cabrera 9, 28002 Madrid, Spain. mariamart@terra.es
Ballesteros
Salomé
S
D000293:Adolescent; D001554:Benzene / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity; D003975:Diazepam / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D005410:Flame Ionization; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D012742:Sex Offenses; D012997:Solvents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D014050:Toluene / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D014992:Xylenes / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D012997:Solvents; D014992:Xylenes; D014050:Toluene; D001554:Benzene; D003975:Diazepam