Unusual Case of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault using Chloroform

Abstract

Despite its well-known sedative properties, chloroform is rarely used for drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) as its administration cannot be achieved without the victim's knowledge: we report an unusual case of DFSA using this solvent. A 26-year-old woman declared that her partner get her to sleep using chloroform the previous night. When she waked up at 3 am, her hands were tied. She immediately suspected violence and sexual penetration. Toxicological blood screening using a liquid chromatography-electrospray coupled tandem mass spectrometry method highlighted the presence of bamifylline and theophylline, two therapeutics of asthma. A screening method for volatile substances using a headspace-gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry method showed (i) the presence of chloroform in blood at a concentration subsequently estimated at 580 µg/L using an external calibration, and (ii) chloroform traces on a piece of a scarf brought by the patient and suspected to have been used to put her to sleep. These results were consistent with an exposure to chloroform by inhalation and demonstrate that there is no limit in the use of chemical weapons in DFSA.