Nightclub Owner Doubles Down On Comments After Woman Said Her Drink Was Spiked
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The owner of an Australian nightclub has come under fire for not believing a patron had her drink spiked.
Shantel Smith messaged Rapture Nightclub in Perth to tell them she believed something had been slipped into her drink and urged the establishment to increase its security.
Neil Scott questioned the truth behind Smith's claims and also asked if she felt she was 'worth' being spiked.
He messaged Shantel privately, saying: "What proof do you have of your drink being spiked. Why would anyone want to spike your drink?"
"Did you attend a hospital and have your stomach pumped for evidence? Is this something you and your friends experience regularly? Would you like a crowd controller to hold your drink the next time you attend a nightclub?
"Do you think ten crowd controllers would be able to stop you having your drink spiked? Are you worth someone trying to spike your drink?"
Naturally, the bloke has come under fire for the comments, however when he was interviewed by Channel 9, he seemed to just double down and get even harsher.
Not only has he released CCTV footage inside the club to try and discredit Shantel but he's also questioned why someone would target her.
"Lets face it, why would somebody spike her drink? Why would they do that? What are they hoping to get? What is she hoping to get from it?' he told 9 News.
"I don't know if she thinks she's special enough to be spiked, I don't know if that's how it works.'
He also told The West Australian: "She's not a particularly attractive girl. It's just implausible to imagine that she had her drink spiked, it just doesn't sort of add up."
"She's just a very plain Jane type of girl. I can't understand why anybody would be possessed by her."
He says that Shantel stood outside the club for eight minutes and 'jollied' with her mates until walking off without showing any signs of being drugged.
Despite Scott maintaining that both he and nightclub staff had done nothing wrong, someone has since set up a Change.org petition calling for Rapture to be shut down.
The petition, which already has more than 15,000 of the required 25,000 signatures, said: "The role of being an owner of a licensed venue should be to demonstrate respect for customers and the community and to ensure a safe environment, at the top of their priorities.
"We believe that this venue has failed to represent the values or the interests of the people of Perth. We are asking for this venue to be closed down and turned into either a shelter for the homeless or a Women's refuge.
"We also seek for the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor WA to revoke Mr Scott's rights to own, manage or serve alcohol in or at any venue in Western Australia."
